multiplex
Americanadjective
-
having many parts or aspects.
the multiplex problem of drug abuse.
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manifold; multiple.
the multiplex opportunities in high technology.
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Telecommunications. of, relating to, or using equipment permitting the simultaneous transmission of two or more signals or messages over a single channel.
verb (used with object)
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multiplexes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
multiplexed,
past participle, past
-
multiplexing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
multiplexes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
multiplexed,
past participle, past
-
multiplexing
present participle
noun
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a multiplex electronics system.
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(in map making) a stereoscopic device that makes it possible to view pairs of aerial photographs in three dimensions.
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Also called multiplex cinema, multiplex theater. a group of two or more movie theaters on the same site or in the same building, especially a cluster of adjoining theaters.
noun
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telecomm
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the use of a common communications channel for sending two or more messages or signals. In frequency-division multiplex the frequency band transmitted by the common channel is split into narrower bands each of which constitutes a distinct channel. In time-division multiplex different channels are established by intermittent connections to the common channel
-
( as modifier )
a multiplex transmitter
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-
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a purpose-built complex containing a number of cinemas and usually a restaurant or bar
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( as modifier )
a multiplex cinema
-
adjective
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designating a method of map-making using three cameras to produce a stereoscopic effect
-
a less common word for multiple
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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multiplexsimple
-
multiplexessimple
-
have multiplexedperfect
-
has multiplexedperfect
-
am multiplexingprogressive
-
are multiplexingprogressive
-
is multiplexingprogressive
-
have been multiplexingperfect progressive
-
has been multiplexingperfect progressive
Past
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multiplexedsimple
-
had multiplexedperfect
-
was multiplexingprogressive
-
were multiplexingprogressive
-
had been multiplexingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of multiplex
From Latin, dating back to 1550–60; see origin at multi-, -plex
Explanation
A multiplex is like a movie lover’s paradise — a big building packed with many theaters, so you can decide whether you’re in the mood for an action flick, a comedy, or the latest animated hit, all under one roof. The word multiplex us built from multi-, meaning "many," and plex, meaning "having parts or units." Originally, it described something complex or made up of many parts, and it still does. It also describes communication systems that carry multiple signals on the same channel. But today, the more common meaning of multiplex is a large cinema complex with multiple theaters showing different movies.
Vocabulary lists containing multiplex
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: multi-
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: multi
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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:
They then used advanced multiplex immunofluorescence and spatial transcriptomic techniques to examine changes in cancer cells and other cells within the tumor environment.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
But pulling that idea out of the multiplex, admitting that you think so little of your fellow Americans that you would champion a movie like “Idiocracy,” should inspire some shame.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
The theater and the adjacent 14-screen ArcLight Hollywood multiplex have been closed since March 2020.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The opening of “Masters of the Universe” mimics that of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” potentially triggering those moviegoers who dislike the brainy end of the multiplex, but never fear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Then we were to go to the multiplex while my mother “picked up a few things at the mall,” which is what she calls shopping.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
His photographs capture not only the movie houses but their ornate facades and decay -- a record of a cultural landscape disappearing as cinemas are demolished, converted into multiplexes or left to crumble.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
Moviegoers were slow to return to multiplexes, and “Tenet” grossed just $58 million domestically.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
What should be the most cringeworthy sequence to echo through multiplexes this decade is, magically, one of its most immediately touching.
From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026
By the mid-1980s, the theater chain grew significantly, opening multiplexes in Burbank and Century City.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2026
Within a five-block radius of my apartment there are four first-run multiplexes and a dozen thirty-to-fifty-seat revival houses with rotating programs devoted to obscure and well-known actors, directors, and genres.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
As a result, fully independent control of phase and group delay for both spins within a compact device has remained difficult, even though it is essential for multi-channel and multiplexed optical systems.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 5, 2026
"Such assays can facilitate continued testing for both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 and can save both time and resources as we head into influenza season," noted the alert regarding the multiplexed method.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2021
Current methods to model or correct mutations in live cells are inefficient, especially when multiplexing -- installing multiple point mutations simultaneously across the genome.
From Science Daily ● May 21, 2024
Although other mRNA and protein nanoparticle vaccines are multiplexing to get breadth of protection, Simpson thinks that won’t be necessary with their VLPs.
From Scientific American ● Jan. 6, 2022
Helmchen’s and Smith’s designs use beam-splitters to provide effectively simultaneous imaging of multiple points — a process called temporal multiplexing.
From Nature ● Nov. 25, 2019
Consider phone networks: your calls share space with others through a technique called multiplexing - data gets time stamped, scrambled up, and unscrambled at the other end.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2019
TCP multiplexing improves server capacity by eliminating the overhead of opening and closing TCP server connections.
From Forbes ● Mar. 31, 2011
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