multi-

¹

1. a combining form meaning “many,” “much,” “multiple,” “many times,” “more than one,” “more than two,” “composed of many like parts,” “in many respects,” used in the formation of compound words.

   multiply; multivitamin.

multi

²

[muhl-tee, -tahy]

noun

plural

multis 

1. a pattern of several colors or hues, usually in stripes.

   This dress comes in pink or green multi.

adjective

1. multicolored.

multi-

combining form

1. many or much

   multiflorous

   multimillion

2. more than one

   multiparous

   multistorey

multi–

1. A prefix that means “many” or “much,” as in multicellular, having many cells.

Word History and Origins

Origin of multi-¹

Middle English < Latin, combining form of multus much, many

Origin of multi-²

By shortening of multicolor or multicolored

Word History and Origins

Origin of multi-¹

from Latin multus much, many

Example Sentences

Treat the 65+ cohort as a structural, multi‐year tailwind, not a short‐term gimmick.

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Melissa Trudgill, the community engagement lead for Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust, said: "Sometimes we sell out within 10 minutes."

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“LA gave every multi family unit a green bin due to a bureaucratic fever dream about composting,” the person wrote.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This week, the Vatican revealed that his favourite four watches of all time included the 1960s nun-themed classic The Sound of Music, It's a Wonderful Life and Italian Roberto Benigni's multi award-winning Life is Beautiful.

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López Mari told me he considered the “Multi_Viral” video, which was filmed in the West Bank in 2013, was “one of the most important projects” he’s ever worked on.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What does multi- mean?

Multi- is a combining form used like a prefix with a variety of meanings, including “many; much; multiple.” It is often used in scientific and technical terms.Multi- comes from Latin multus, meaning “much” and “many.” The Greek equivalent of multus is polýs, also meaning both “much” and “many,” which is the source of the combining form poly-. To learn more, check out our Words That Use article about poly-.What are variants of multi-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, multi- becomes mult-, as in multangular, from Latin multangulus. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article about mult-.