multifaceted
Americanadjective
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having many facets, as a gem.
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having many aspects or phases.
a multifaceted problem.
adjective
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(of a gem) having many facets
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having many aspects, abilities, etc
Etymology
Origin of multifaceted
First recorded in 1865–70; multi- + faceted ( def. )
Explanation
Multifaceted means having many aspects or sides. Diamonds are usually cut to be multifaceted, that is, with many angled flat surfaces, because this increases their ability to reflect light. Since facet means "aspect," "side," or "face," multifaceted means "many aspects, sides, or faces." This can apply to jewels or other physical objects, like the eyes of a dragonfly, but it can also refer to complicated issues that have lots of contributing factors and generate more than two sides to an argument. A multifaceted person has many abilities, or a personality with many sides to it.
Vocabulary lists containing multifaceted
This Week in Words: August 21 - 25, 2017
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This Week In Culture, September 7–13, 2019
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President Obama's Speech to the Nation about Terrorism
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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.
EQT’s multifaceted business may be one reason why the stock has outperformed some competitors this year.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
"It's these multifaceted international relationships with big business that we really need to be strengthening far more than we have," he adds.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
Since those early days, the interpretation program has grown into something far more ambitious and multifaceted.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
The issue of high concert prices is multifaceted, and artists and promoters play more of a role than many fans want to believe.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
It was a machine like a jade-green insect, a praying mantis, delicately rushing through the cold air, indistinct, countless green diamonds winking over its body, and red jewels that glittered with multifaceted eyes.
From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
