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Synonyms

multimedia

American  
[muhl-tee-mee-dee-uh, muhl-tahy-] / ˌmʌl tiˈmi di ə, ˌmʌl taɪ- /

noun

(used with a singular verb)
  1. the combined use of several media, as sound and full-motion video in computer applications.


adjective

  1. of, relating to, or involving the use of multimedia.

  2. having or offering the use of various communications or promotional media.

    a multimedia corporation that owns TV stations and newspapers.

multimedia British  
/ ˌmʌltɪˈmiːdɪə /

plural noun

  1. the combined use of media such as television, slides, etc, esp in education

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of or relating to the use of a combination of media

    multimedia teaching aids

  2. computing of or relating to any of various systems which can manipulate data in a variety of forms, such as sound, graphics, or text

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of multimedia

First recorded in 1960–65; multi- + media 1

Explanation

Multimedia is a system of relaying information or entertainment that includes many different forms of communication. You might use multimedia to give a presentation at school. Multimedia might include video, audio clips, and still photographs, for example. A newspaper's online presence could use multimedia as well, combining graphics, sound, and animation. The word itself, sometimes spelled with a hyphen as multi-media, has been used since 1962, from multi-, or "many," rooted in the Latin multus, "many or much;" and media, the plural form of medium, or "system of communication."

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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.

See Examples For:

Another passenger, Zvika Meness, told Israeli public broadcaster Kan he helped overpower the attacker, and the passenger and two others "tied him up with his own zip ties and with the multimedia headphones".

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Nearby, at Swoon Art House on the north Broadway corridor of the art district, founder Rebecca DiDomenico stages multimedia installations inside a striking circular building with rammed-earth walls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

U2’s recognition comes in the wake of a much-discussed residency at Sphere in Las Vegas, where the band looked back at its 1991 album “Achtung Baby” in a high-tech multimedia presentation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

In 2024, the Japanese multimedia giant disclosed, discs made for only 3 percent of all PlayStation brand sales—not even clearing $1 billion in revenue.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

They kept at arm’s length the multimedia that Terryl feared would foil their engagement with one another, their studies, the real world.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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