Multiple Meaning
/ˈmʌltɪpəl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
detMore than one (followed by plural).
adjHaving more than one element, part, component, or function, having more than one instance, occurring more than once, usually contrary to expectations (can be followed by a singular).
Sentence Examples
There was a multiple collision on the highway.
One sentence may have multiple meanings in one language.
The shape appears multiple times within each painting.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The system detected ____ errors in the code, all of which were critical and needed immediate fixing.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The investigator found that there were ____ reasons for the sudden failure of the bridge, including several design flaws and poor maintenance.
Word Origin & History
From French multiple, itself from Late Latin multiplus.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus.[…]A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that. Developed as a tool to electronically combine the sharpest bits of multiple digital images, focus stacking is a boon to biologists seeking full focus on a micron scale."
— 2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist, archived from the original on 29 Jun 2015:
"A study Kennedy discussed on multiple podcast episodes exposed male African clawed frogs to atrazine in a lab, castrating 75% of the male frogs and turning one in 10 males into females."
— 2023 July 13, Abby Turner and Andrew Kaczynski, “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeatedly suggested that chemicals in water are impacting sexuality of children”, in CNN:
"Now, let's briefly explore two different approaches for creating sites for a multiple audience: multiserving and responsive design."
— 2012, Dino Esposito, Architecting Mobile Solutions for the Enterprise:
"While being multiple can cause complexity to people’s lives, as will be highlighted below, all respondents noted that they would not want to change their experiences of being multiple."
— 2024, Zarah Eve, “Expert-by-experience intrapersonal findings” (chapter 6), in Exploring emerging multiplicity and psychosocial functioning: A constructivist grounded theory study (PhD thesis), Manchester Metropolitan University, page 145:
"One might view this attempt to ensure the scarcity of a multiple as both a marketing ploy and form of elitism."
— 1996, Southeastern College Art Conference Review:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The system detected ____ errors in the code, all of which were critical and needed immediate fixing.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The investigator found that there were ____ reasons for the sudden failure of the bridge, including several design flaws and poor maintenance.