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 policies are multiplying and growing more constraining as the crisis continues.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We start to draw conclusions,” says Sammut, “whether that’s a golden pattern we want to multiply across their peers or whether it’s an anti-pattern that we want to coach our way out of.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But Mayor Kate Gallego says the local population is growing tired of seeing data centers multiply in their communities, straining water supplies and a power grid that are already at breaking point.

From Barron's

Traders are snapping up defense stocks and buying more shares of leveraged ETFs that multiply the impact of market moves, said Webull CEO Anthony Denier.

From The Wall Street Journal

In current market conditions, this company with $50 billion in freely tradable shares—multiplied by a factor of five—would immediately hurdle into the top third of all stocks in the index.

From The Wall Street Journal

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