multipurpose
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of multipurpose
Explanation
Anything multipurpose can be used in many different ways. A multipurpose tool might include a screwdriver, flashlight, and bottle opener all in one. At your school, a multipurpose room could provide space for a music class, an after-school art club, and an area for the debate club's meetings. If you're prescribed a multipurpose medication, it might take care of your headache while also easing your stiff elbow and making you feel more energetic. Multipurpose combines multi, "many or much," from the Latin multus, with purpose, "intention," from the Old French porpos, "aim."
Vocabulary lists containing multipurpose
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.
Then, they marched from the Resurrection entrance to the school’s multipurpose room for a plática, or teach-in, on Lineage, singing in Spanish a song based on the 118th Psalm:
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
The project, agreed in principle with the Fujairah Ports Authority under a 50-year concession, includes a container and multipurpose terminal and a general-cargo terminal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The project, agreed in principle with the Fujairah Ports Authority under a 50-year concession, includes a container and multipurpose terminal and a general-cargo terminal, the global ports operator said Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Inside are classrooms, an office, praying halls, a multipurpose room, a library, a kitchen, and a grocery store where kids frequently buy snacks after school.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
We meet in the multipurpose lounge, and I grab him a package of his favorite chocolate minidonuts from the vending machine, tossing them to him on his love seat.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
