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

In August, Bristol Myers Squibb BMY 4.61%increase; up pointing triangle received approval for a next-generation multiple myeloma treatment, Zenbexus, that works as a form of molecular glue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Dream rock band Fathom travelled roughly 700km across Australia to play nine shows, setting a new Guinness World Record for most concerts performed in 12 hours across multiple cities.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Outdoors, a swimming pool anchors the backyard, surrounded by mature trees and multiple areas for lounging, dining, and hosting guests.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

What could even follow up “La Bola Negra,” in which he shares multiple scenes with Oscar-winning Spanish superstar Penélope Cruz?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

His bones are pointy and pronounced, even through his multiple layers of clothing.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

Therefore investors are continuing “to reprice growth-heavy equity valuations in general,” meaning they’re taking a fresh look at the high stock multiples associated with companies that borrow money to help fuel their growth.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 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

Investors may now be less willing to pay the premium multiples that the stock has historically commanded, the bank says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

That might cause valuation multiples to expand again,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 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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