Synonyms

multiply

¹ American

[muhl-tuh-plahy] / ˈmʌl təˌplaɪ /

verb (used with object)

multiplied, multiplying

to make many or manifold; increase the number, quantity, etc., of.
Arithmetic. to find the product of by multiplication.
to breed (animals).
to propagate (plants).
to increase by procreation.

verb (used without object)

multiplied, multiplying

to grow in number, quantity, etc.; increase.

Synonyms:

mushroom, grow, proliferate
Arithmetic. to perform the process of multiplication.
to increase in number by procreation or natural generation.

multiply ² American

[muhl-tuh-plee] / ˈmʌl tə pli /

adverb

in several or many ways; in a multiple manner; manifoldly.

multiply British

/ ˈmʌltɪˌplaɪ /

verb

to increase or cause to increase in number, quantity, or degree
(tr) to combine (two numbers or quantities) by multiplication
(intr) to increase in number by reproduction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

multiply Scientific

/ mŭl′tə-plī′ /

To perform multiplication on a pair of quantities.

Other Word Forms

multipliable adjective
self-multiplied adjective
self-multiplying adjective
unmultiplied adjective
unmultiplying adjective

Etymology

Origin of multiply¹

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English multiplien, from Old French multiplier, from Latin multiplicāre; multi-, ply ²

Origin of multiply²

First recorded in 1880–85; multiple + -ly

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.

But the Olympic spirit is hard to find in much of Milan, where rents have soared in the past few years as skyscrapers and top restaurants multiply.

From Barron's

For the latter, multiply your monthly premium by 12 and add however much of the deductible you anticipate hitting.

From Barron's

Travel plans expand, hobbies multiply and retirees sometimes invest heavily in activities they always dreamed of pursuing.

From MarketWatch

In the final stage, cells that had committed to becoming NK cells were allowed to mature and multiply further.

From Science Daily

New threats will multiply, and old attacks will happen at greater scale and speed.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023