multiplier

American  

[muhl-tuh-plahy-er] / ˈmʌl təˌplaɪ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that multiplies.

2. Arithmetic. a number by which another is multiplied.

3. Physics. a device for intensifying some effect.

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multiplier British  

/ ˈmʌltɪˌplaɪə /

noun

1. a person or thing that multiplies

2. the number by which another number, the multiplicand, is multiplied See also multiplicand

3. physics any device or instrument, such as a photomultiplier, for increasing an effect

4. economics

   1. the ratio of the total change in income (resulting from successive rounds of spending) to an initial autonomous change in expenditure

   2. ( as modifier )

      multiplier effects

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multiplier Scientific  

/ mŭl′tə-plī′ər /

1. The number by which another number is multiplied.

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Etymology

Origin of multiplier

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at multiply ¹, -er ¹

Example Sentences

“It’s a risk multiplier for the already elevated chances we now have for extreme events due to the burning of fossil fuels,” Watkins said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Higher-income households are more likely to save additional income, leading to a lower multiplier effect.”

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

Online sportsbooks are now poised to be to modern gambling what drones are to warfare — a remarkable, unchecked multiplier of pain and gain.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026

“The high multiplier manufacturing sector dropped 68,000 jobs in 2025, with eight consecutive declines in the second half of the year,” he writes.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 5, 2026

Jack’s straight-backed, brown-ink copperplate told her to assume a multiplier of fifty.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan