multiplier

American  

[muhl-tuh-plahy-er] / ˈmʌl təˌplaɪ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that multiplies.

2. Arithmetic. a number by which another is multiplied. multiply.

3. Physics. a device for intensifying some effect.

---

multiplier British  

/ ˈmʌltɪˌplaɪə /

noun

1. a person or thing that multiplies

2. the number by which another number, the multiplicand, is multiplied See also multiplicand

3. physics any device or instrument, such as a photomultiplier, for increasing an effect

4. economics

   1. the ratio of the total change in income (resulting from successive rounds of spending) to an initial autonomous change in expenditure

   2. ( as modifier )

      multiplier effects

---

multiplier Scientific  

/ mŭl′tə-plī′ər /

1. The number by which another number is multiplied.

---

Etymology

Origin of multiplier

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; multiply ¹, -er ¹

Example Sentences

"We are hoping they can be a force multiplier," Stahl said, in an interview with Fox News.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Higher-income households are more likely to save additional income, leading to a lower multiplier effect.”

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

Online sportsbooks are now poised to be to modern gambling what drones are to warfare — a remarkable, unchecked multiplier of pain and gain.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026

“The high multiplier manufacturing sector dropped 68,000 jobs in 2025, with eight consecutive declines in the second half of the year,” he writes.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 5, 2026

Fifty thousand pounds in modern money, using a retail price index, but £725,000 in modern money using an average wage multiplier.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton