multiplayer

[muhl-tee-pley-er, muhl-tahy‐]

adjective

1. noting or relating to a video game, or a portion of a video game, in which more than one person plays at the same time in a shared game environment: a multiplayer experience.

   a multiplayer game;

   multiplayer mode;

   a multiplayer experience.

2. relating to or involving more than one player.

   The pitcher was traded in a multiplayer deal.

multiplayer

/ ˈmʌltɪˌpleɪə /

noun

1. a mode of play involving more than one player at one time in a computer or video game

Word History and Origins

Origin of multiplayer¹

First recorded in 1945–50; multi- + player

Example Sentences

More than 20 million adults have had active shooter training, learning how to keep doors shut or disarm a shooter, participating in multiplayer video simulations.

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The clash of the multiplayer titans comes at an interesting time for the makers of Call of Duty, who've had to issue responses to fan concerns about the series losing its way.

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Fans accused the company of trying to mimic Fortnite, the ever-popular multiplayer game famous for its sometimes unlikely crossovers, which have included pop star Sabrina Carpenter and an AI-voiced Darth Vader in 2025.

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The game owes its long-running success to the popularity of its multiplayer modes, and the performance of Black Ops 7 will be judged on whether they succeed.

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The game has a campaign mode that follows a story, a multiplayer option to play with friends and the ever-popular zombies portion, meaning each designated team is thinking in parallel about things like tone, features and playable moments that they want fans to experience, Miller said.

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