multiple
Americanadjective
-
consisting of, having, or involving several or many individuals, parts, elements, relations, etc.; manifold.
-
Electricity.
-
(of circuits) arranged in parallel.
-
(of a circuit or circuits) having a number of points at which connection can be made.
-
-
Botany. (of a fruit) collective.
noun
-
multiples
plural
-
Mathematics. a number that contains another number an integral number of times without a remainder.
12 is a multiple of 3.
-
Electricity. a group of terminals arranged to make a circuit or group of circuits accessible at a number of points at any one of which connection can be made.
adjective
-
having or involving more than one part, individual, etc
he had multiple injuries
-
electronics (of a circuit) having a number of conductors in parallel
noun
-
the product of a given number or polynomial and any other one
6 is a multiple of 2
-
telephony an electrical circuit accessible at a number of points to any one of which a connection can be made
-
short for multiple store
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of multiple
First recorded in 1570–80; from French, from Late Latin multiplus “manifold”; see multi-
Explanation
When you're talking about more than one, you're talking about multiple things. A machine with many fixtures has multiple parts. A person that seems like two totally different people on different days might have multiple personalities. The word multiple comes from the Latin multiplus meaning "manifold." When something exists in multiple forms, it's manifold, or has many kinds. Think of a multiplex theater that can show multiple movies at once. Walk through a garden full of flowers and you'll see multiple kinds of blooms. A multiple is also a number that can be divided into another number without a remainder. Multiples of five, for example are ten, fifteen, twenty... — you get the picture.
Vocabulary lists containing multiple
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Arithmetic
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Number System
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The AP’s climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Korean equities are also trading at very low valuations with Samsung’s price-to-earnings multiple for 2027 standing at just 3.5 times according to FactSet, while SK Hynix is 3.3 times.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Phillips owns one annuity from Clear Spring and multiple annuities from Gainbridge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Researchers compared these observations with the Copernicus Marine Service's multimission sea-level anomaly data, which combine measurements from multiple satellites.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
Between airport security, government surveillance, and tourists taking vacation snaps, you were bound to have your picture taken multiple times.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
“The current valuation leaves Porsche trading on demanding near-term multiples, perhaps capping re-rating potential until we get closer to the 2028 margin inflection.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
“Tower multiples are deeply depressed, and the stocks are looking for a catalyst against a rising-rate backdrop,” Rezaei wrote, adding that the deal “could put some wind back in the TowerCos’ sails.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
And tech darlings are no longer commanding the multiples that they once did.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
They typically have low enterprise-value-to-Ebitda multiples of four or five, and high free-cash-flow yields of 10% to 15%.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
“They were putting on bets that were multiples of the capital they had,” said the young Deutsche Bank broker.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
