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Synonyms

multidimensional

American  
[muhl-tee-di-men-shuh-nl, -dahy-, muhl-tahy-] / ˌmʌl ti dɪˈmɛn ʃə nl, -daɪ-, ˌmʌl taɪ- /

adjective

  1. having many different facets, elements, or factors.

    I believe every person is a complex and dynamic multidimensional system.

    Good CEOs find order in chaos, tackling multidimensional problems and bringing clarity to issues others may find baffling.

  2. Mathematics. (of space) having more than three dimensions.

    By developing the math to describe multidimensional spaces, Riemann equipped physicists to explore the possibility of extra dimensions today.


Etymology

Origin of multidimensional

First recorded in 1880–85; multi- ( def. ) + dimension ( def. ) + -al 1 ( def. )

Explanation

The adjective multidimensional describes anything with many different parts or aspects. You might talk about your relationship with the next door neighbor as multidimensional if, say, he's also your teacher, and if his son is married to your older sister. Describing something as multidimensional implies that it's complex. You could talk about a multidimensional book filled with intricate themes, characters, plots, and symbols; or you could even call a person multidimensional if she had a particularly complicated personality. The word dimension forms the root of multidimensional, so if you imagine "many dimensions," you'll have a clear idea of what the word means.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing multidimensional

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

FAHA, chair of the writing group for the American Heart Association's 2025 scientific statement, Multidimensional Sleep Health: Definitions and Implications for Cardiometabolic Health.

From Science Daily • Nov. 4, 2025

Perfectionism is so pervasive that there’s a test to measure it: the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale.

From New York Times • Apr. 11, 2024

Minusma - the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission - began in 2013 after an armed rebellion, but has been asked to leave by the country's ruling military government.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2023

The return to growth linked to higher oil prices has, as usual, not benefited most Angolans, around half of whom live in poverty, according to the Angola Multidimensional Poverty Index.

From Reuters • Aug. 18, 2022

Multidimensional interpretations of what is means to be a man are the wings on which the short king soars.

From The Guardian • Jun. 21, 2019