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.

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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

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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

Other Word Forms

• multimedial
  adjective

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."

Example Sentences

Before that, she was a freelance journalist based in Bogota, Colombia and the Multimedia Editor at HuffPost U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said on Sunday that it issued notices to X earlier in the year to seek tighter measures after it found "repeated misuse" of Grok to generate harmful content.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2026

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission also voiced "serious concern" at the weekend over public complaints about the "indecent, grossly offensive" content across X.

From Barron's • Jan. 5, 2026

When it worked events at the Rose Bowl and the Fairplex, Revel said, Technical Multimedia Design found that people as far as 4 miles away were able to detect music, especially the bass.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2024

The first ILO Symposium on Multimedia Convergence was held in January 1997 at the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, with employers, unionists and government representatives from all over the world.

From The eBook is 40 (1971-2011) by Lebert, Marie