multiple

American  

[muhl-tuh-puhl] / ˈmʌl tə pəl /

adjective

1. consisting of, having, or involving several or many individuals, parts, elements, relations, etc.; manifold.

2. Electricity.

   1. (of circuits) arranged in parallel.

   2. (of a circuit or circuits) having a number of points at which connection can be made.

3. Botany. (of a fruit) collective.

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noun

• multiples
  plural

1. Mathematics. a number that contains another number an integral number of times without a remainder.

   12 is a multiple of 3.

2. Electricity. a group of terminals arranged to make a circuit or group of circuits accessible at a number of points at any one of which connection can be made.

multiple British  

/ ˈmʌltɪpəl /

adjective

1. having or involving more than one part, individual, etc

   he had multiple injuries

2. electronics (of a circuit) having a number of conductors in parallel

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noun

1. the product of a given number or polynomial and any other one

   6 is a multiple of 2

2. telephony an electrical circuit accessible at a number of points to any one of which a connection can be made

3. short for multiple store

multiple Scientific  

/ mŭl′tə-pəl /

1. A number that may be divided by another number with no remainder. For example, 4, 10, and 32 are multiples of 2.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonmultiple
  adjective
• multiply
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• multiples
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of multiple

First recorded in 1570–80; from French, from Late Latin multiplus “manifold”; see multi-

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Explanation

When you're talking about more than one, you're talking about multiple things. A machine with many fixtures has multiple parts. A person that seems like two totally different people on different days might have multiple personalities. The word multiple comes from the Latin multiplus meaning "manifold." When something exists in multiple forms, it's manifold, or has many kinds. Think of a multiplex theater that can show multiple movies at once. Walk through a garden full of flowers and you'll see multiple kinds of blooms. A multiple is also a number that can be divided into another number without a remainder. Multiples of five, for example are ten, fifteen, twenty... — you get the picture.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

multiple multiples

Given its well-documented financial woes, the Metropolitan Opera might not seem a likely place to find multiple bold and costly new creative projects.

From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026

On their Women's World Cup debut, they had scored against England, taking advantage of multiple English errors to deservedly pull level inside the opening 10 minutes.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

These findings suggest that DT-109 could eventually have applications in treating both liver and cardiovascular conditions, an important possibility because metabolic disorders often affect multiple organs.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

And multiple Southern California beaches that are “so deeply tied to the state’s heart and soul” could be lost.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Handbook of differentiated instruction using the multiple intelligences.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

“The current valuation leaves Porsche trading on demanding near-term multiples, perhaps capping re-rating potential until we get closer to the 2028 margin inflection.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

“Tower multiples are deeply depressed, and the stocks are looking for a catalyst against a rising-rate backdrop,” Rezaei wrote, adding that the deal “could put some wind back in the TowerCos’ sails.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

Wall Street blames rising interest rates for the slide in stock valuation multiples, which has impacted tech darlings like Nvidia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Crucially, with the broader market spinning its wheels of late, surging earnings mean price-to-earnings multiples have dropped.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

“They were putting on bets that were multiples of the capital they had,” said the young Deutsche Bank broker.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

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Related Words

• different
• numerous
• various

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