multiplication

American  

[muhl-tuh-pli-key-shuhn] / ˌmʌl tə plɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of multiplying multiply or the state of being multiplied. multiply.

2. Arithmetic. a mathematical operation, symbolized by a × b, a ⋅ b, a ∗ b, or ab, and signifying, when a and b are positive integers, that a is to be added to itself as many times as there are units in b; the addition of a number to itself as often as is indicated by another number, as in 2×3 or 5×10.

3. Mathematics. any generalization of this operation applicable to numbers other than integers, as fractions or irrational numbers.

---

multiplication British  

/ ˌmʌltɪplɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. an arithmetical operation, defined initially in terms of repeated addition, usually written a × b, a.b, or ab, by which the product of two quantities is calculated: to multiply a by positive integral b is to add a to itself b times. Multiplication by fractions can then be defined in the light of the associative and commutative properties; multiplication by 1/ n is equivalent to multiplication by 1 followed by division by n: for example 0.3 × 0.7 = 0.3 × 7/ 10 = (0.3 × 7)/10 = 2 1/ 10 = 0.21

2. the act of multiplying or state of being multiplied

3. the act or process in animals, plants, or people of reproducing or breeding

---

multiplication Scientific  

/ mŭl′tə-plĭ-kā′shən /

1. A mathematical operation performed on a pair of numbers in order to derive a third number called a product. For positive integers, multiplication consists of adding a number (the multiplicand) to itself a specified number of times. Thus multiplying 6 by 3 means adding 6 to itself three times. The operation of multiplication is extended to other real numbers according to the rules governing the multiplicative properties of positive integers.

2. Any of certain analogous operations involving mathematical objects other than numbers.

---

Other Word Forms

• multiplicational adjective
• nonmultiplication noun
• nonmultiplicational adjective
• overmultiplication noun
• remultiplication noun

Etymology

Origin of multiplication

1350–1400; Middle English multiplicacio ( u ) n < Latin multiplicātiōn- (stem of multiplicātiō ). See multi-, plication

Example Sentences

Nominally about multiplication, the test was actually about how well you functioned under pressure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

Try jotting down three fractions separated by multiplication signs: earnings/sales x sales/assets x assets/equity.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

Operating at an impressive 12.5 GHz, OFE2 achieves a single matrix-vector multiplication in just 250.5 picoseconds -- the fastest known result for this type of optical computation.

From Science Daily • Oct. 28, 2025

“With Kennedy you get the highest multiplication factor for any political figure,” said Paul Boutros, who heads the U.S. watch business for Phillips, a London-based auction house.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2025

Andre was very keen about the role of divalent metals in phage multiplication and so was receptive to my belief that ions were decisively important for nucleic-acid structure.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Related Words

• amplification