multitude

American  

[muhl-ti-tood, -tyood] / ˈmʌl tɪˌtud, -ˌtjud /

noun

• multitudes
  plural

1. a great number; host.

   a multitude of friends.

2. a great number of people gathered together; crowd; throng.

   Synonyms:

   mass

3. the state or character of being many; numerousness.

4. the multitude, the common people; the masses.

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multitude British  

/ ˈmʌltɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. a large gathering of people

2. the common people

3. a large number

4. the state or quality of being numerous

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Synonym Usage

See crowd ¹.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• multitudes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of multitude

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English word from Latin word multitūdō. See multi-, -tude

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

multitude multitudes

Shortly after I graduated from college, the internet became a global presence, and claims on my attention and everyone else’s mushroomed into a multitude of distractions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

But with that said, Raigeul tells Realtor.com that the home would be a great fit “for a multitude of different buyers.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

Enrollees can choose from a multitude of plans sponsored by insurance carriers, varying somewhat by the drugs covered and the premiums.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Kreitzman also has a curator - Jaime Freestone , external- who often stays over and keeps displays like the one with a multitude of ancient Egyptian busts and doll heads in order.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

At the feet of the human-sized imps were a multitude of the tiny, fairy-sized versions.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

What’s more, you are also donating to a food bank to put food into the backpacks of multitudes of children.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 20, 2026

Charlie contained multitudes, and I took some satisfaction from the eulogies noticing that fact.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

A plea, a flex, a come-on — this delirious pop masterpiece contains multitudes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026

Among the many tasks: managing ever-multiplying multitudes of cattle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2026

A venerable, old book, the shape and size of a headstone, with yellowing pages that bore marks of the multitudes who had consulted them before me.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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Related Words

• horde
• legion
• myriad
• slew
• throng

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