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• multi
  multi

  noun

  a pattern of several colors or hues, usually in stripes.
• multi-
  multi-

  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.
• multi–
  multi–

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

multi

¹ American  

[muhl-tee, -tahy] / ˈmʌl ti, -taɪ /

noun

plural

multis

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

   This dress comes in pink or green multi.

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adjective

1. multicolored.

multi- ² American  

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.

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multi- British  

combining form

1. many or much

   multiflorous

   multimillion

2. more than one

   multiparous

   multistorey

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multi– Scientific  

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

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Usage

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-.

Etymology

Origin of multi¹

By shortening of multicolor or multicolored

Origin of multi-²

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

Example Sentences

He said advice for schools could be obtained from the government, police, local authority and multi academy trusts.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

So, these multi, multimillion-dollar judgments against the district need to be satisfied, and without the judgment-obligation bonds, we would have to use general fund as cash to satisfy them,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

Using resources such as MSU's Mass Spectrometry and Metabolomics Core, the team assembled a detailed picture of the multi step, high energy process sperm rely on to achieve fertilization.

From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2026

On the plus side, F2Q showed solid results across RPO, Cloud Revenue, OCI, and multi cloud database revenue, Oppenheimer says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

V, VI Immissi cum falcibus multi purgarunt locum.

From Helps to Latin Translation at Sight by Luce, Edmund