multitude
Americannoun
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a great number; host.
a multitude of friends.
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a great number of people gathered together; crowd; throng.
- Synonyms:
- mass
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the state or character of being many; numerousness.
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the multitude, the common people; the masses.
noun
-
a large gathering of people
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the common people
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a large number
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the state or quality of being numerous
Related Words
See crowd 1.
Etymology
Origin of multitude
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English word from Latin word multitūdō. See multi-, -tude
Explanation
A multitude is a very large number or a huge crowd. If you see a multitude of zombies approaching, you're in trouble. Sometimes the word multitude refers to the common people, or the masses — that is, everyone in a society apart from the political elite. There are a lot of words and phrases for this, like hoi polloi, which is Greek for "the many," and "the great unwashed." Those last two terms are usually used in a disapproving way, but multitudes is generally a positive term. If you were to say that a leader inspired the multitudes to rise up against their oppressor, we'd assume that you sympathized with the multitudes.
Vocabulary lists containing multitude
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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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.
Big-name fiber and optoelectronics stocks have been among the hottest on the market this year, but investors who look below the surface can find a multitude of ways to play the boom in connectivity demand.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
“The company has a multitude of diversified and powerful streams of earnings, Gibraltar-like financial strength, and a deeply-imbedded culture of acting in the best interests of shareholders.”
From Barron's • May 3, 2026
The county court system, which hears criminal cases as well as a multitude of civil matters, is vast with locations as far north as Lancaster and as far south as Catalina Island.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Infertility is caused by a multitude of different factors, Dr. Rachel Jensen, ACOG’s Darney-Landy fellow, told Salon.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026
The young musicians in modern conservatoires, music colleges and universities study in an environment that fosters respect for and engagement with a multitude of genres and traditions.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions 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.
