multiple

American  

[muhl-tuh-puhl] / ˈmʌl tə pəl /

adjective

1. consisting of, having, or involving several or many individuals, parts, elements, relations, etc.; manifold.

2. Electricity.

   1. (of circuits) arranged in parallel.

   2. (of a circuit or circuits) having a number of points at which connection can be made.

3. Botany. (of a fruit) collective.

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noun

1. Mathematics. a number that contains another number an integral number of times without a remainder.

   12 is a multiple of 3.

2. 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.

multiple British  

/ ˈmʌltɪpəl /

adjective

1. having or involving more than one part, individual, etc

   he had multiple injuries

2. electronics (of a circuit) having a number of conductors in parallel

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noun

1. the product of a given number or polynomial and any other one

   6 is a multiple of 2

2. telephony an electrical circuit accessible at a number of points to any one of which a connection can be made

3. short for multiple store

multiple Scientific  

/ mŭl′tə-pəl /

1. A number that may be divided by another number with no remainder. For example, 4, 10, and 32 are multiples of 2.

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Other Word Forms

• multiply
  adverb
• nonmultiple
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

Researchers say the findings could have major implications if the same rainfall intensification is occurring across the broader Southern Ocean storm belt, which multiple lines of evidence suggest may be the case.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

Waymo says it now provides more than 500,000 trips per week across multiple US cities including San Francisco, Austin and Miami.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

It took more than three years of public pressure, multiple hearings, a dogged legislator and a regulator willing to reverse his predecessor to force a do-over.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Politics, family, inflation, racism, weight gain and greed were among the multiple topics lampooned by Wanda Sykes during a dynamic and often wickedly funny tour stop at the Dolby Theatre last Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

And if there were multiple smaller fires, that meant they could run headlong into a wall of flames any minute.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

• different
• numerous
• various