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.
“There are so many different cities and ZIP codes here that make for a multifaceted and multi-heartbeat city,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Adlakha points to filmmakers such as Assam's Rima Das and Meghalaya's Dominic Sangma whose work, he says, reveals "how complex and multifaceted the idea of Indian cinema happens to be".
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Yet after electing a City Council super-majority in 2024, Santa Monica began a multifaceted, $60 million Realignment Plan designed to prepare the city for mass gatherings timed to the Olympics and other events.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
“The public sees only the arms sales, but in fact, it’s multifaceted and involves so much more,” Koo said Friday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
