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

"Musk has tried to take over OpenAI multiple times. He's been spurned," Lund told the BBC.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

“We continue to see a favorable risk/reward equation for shares given multiple upcoming catalysts and strong exposure to ongoing AI CPU demand and memory bottlenecks.”

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

“Big banks and firms that offer multiple ancillary products, including insurance and lending, can choose their own firm’s products for clients.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

The pharma company backed its 2026 guidance and raised the prospect of upgrading its mid- to long-term growth outlook as it receives data from multiple drug trials.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

He feels like he’s getting punched from multiple angles and can’t figure out where to block.

From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• different
• numerous
• various