multiply
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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multiplies,
present (3rd person singular)
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multiplied,
past participle, past
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multiplying
present participle
-
to make many or manifold; increase the number, quantity, etc., of.
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Arithmetic. to find the product of by multiplication.
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to breed (animals).
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to propagate (plants).
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to increase by procreation.
verb (used without object)
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multiplies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
multiplied,
past participle, past
-
multiplying
present participle
-
to grow in number, quantity, etc.; increase.
- Synonyms:
- mushroom, grow, proliferate
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Arithmetic. to perform the process of multiplication.
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to increase in number by procreation or natural generation.
adverb
verb
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to increase or cause to increase in number, quantity, or degree
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(tr) to combine (two numbers or quantities) by multiplication
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(intr) to increase in number by reproduction
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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multipliableadjective
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self-multipliedadjective
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self-multiplyingadjective
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unmultipliedadjective
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unmultiplyingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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multiplysimple
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multipliessimple
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have multipliedperfect
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has multipliedperfect
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am multiplyingprogressive
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are multiplyingprogressive
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is multiplyingprogressive
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have been multiplyingperfect progressive
-
has been multiplyingperfect progressive
Past
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multipliedsimple
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had multipliedperfect
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was multiplyingprogressive
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were multiplyingprogressive
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had been multiplyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of multiply1
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English multiplien, from Old French multiplier, from Latin multiplicāre; see multi-, ply 2
Origin of multiply2
Explanation
When you multiply two numbers, you increase the first by the same number that's specified by the second. In other words, when you multiply two by three, you add together three twos. When you're doing simple math problems, you can multiply by memorizing lists of times tables — or you can add one number as many times as the second number: four times two is the same as two fours, or eight. Another way to multiply is simply to increase or expand greatly: "If the diner starts serving homemade pie, their profits will multiply." The Latin root is multiplicare, "to increase," from multiplex, "having many folds."
Vocabulary lists containing multiply
Ratios and Proportional Relationships
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Number and Operations: Fractions
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Operations and Algebraic Thinking
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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.
See Examples For:
Once macrophages have fully matured, they are difficult to multiply in large quantities outside the body.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Jon Burrows called on other parties to join him in emphasising the need to "resolve the dispute and not multiply it".
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Cells need to multiply enough to replace what was lost, but that growth must eventually stop.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
U.S. crude prices have jumped 19% in the past three weeks to trade near $101 a barrel as attacks in the Middle East multiply.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
The bus stop is only two blocks away, but my nerves multiply with every step.
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
Nuclear proliferation just multiplies the odds that there’s going to be a mistake or miscalculation that causes nuclear weapons to be used, so the world should definitely be focused on not allowing more nuclear countries.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
Datadog, down 25%, and Snowflake, down 41%, are in this group, too, although they’re younger companies trading at high multiplies of earnings.
From Barron's ● Apr. 16, 2026
Each reuse multiplies the value of the original dataset, ensuring that no discovery is wasted, every contribution can spark the next breakthrough, and researchers gain recognition for their work.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2025
JON LEVY: A glue player is the team member who multiplies everyone else’s results, helping the team win.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025
Within three months Ole and I had finished a set of experiments on the fate of a bacterial-virus particle when it multiplies inside a bacterium to form several hundred new virus particles.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
Using an innovative DNA recording technology, the researchers followed how those early cells multiplied, developed specialized roles, and eventually helped form a body with distinct organs and tissues.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
While Armani already used these luminous touches in his eveningwear, Silvana Armani has multiplied them to emphasise the fluidity and lightness of her silhouettes.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
In Cibolo, a city north of San Antonio with a population of 36,000, an authority grant multiplied the number of Flock cameras from 11 to 52.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
Every down day, the leveraged ETFs multiplied the daily losses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
“I’ve done some calculating, Mrs. Heine. If I’ve multiplied correctly, the Miyamoto family purchased seven acres from you for forty-five hundred dollars—is that right? Forty-five hundred dollars?”
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Rather than quickly maturing into other cell types, the progenitors continued multiplying while preserving their identity and their capacity to generate functional immune cells.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
In lymphoma cells, the protein can stay stuck in the "on" position, continually suppressing death-related genes and allowing malignant cells to keep multiplying.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
As of June, Lumen had put down approximately 19 million “fiber miles,” which is calculated by multiplying the length of the route by the number of fibers inside each cable.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
Perhaps that is why eclipse chasers keep multiplying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Division by zero should be the opposite of multiplying by zero.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
