B2adjective1K

Multiple

UK /["/ˈmʌltɪpl/"]/US /["/ˈmʌltɪpl/"]/

Definition

many in number; involving many different people or things

In simple words: More than one.

Examples

  • She has multiple options to choose from when deciding what to wear.
  • The project requires multiple stakeholders to ensure its success.
  • He faced multiple challenges throughout his career, but he persevered.
  • There are multiple ways to approach this problem.
  • The artist creates multiple versions of the same painting, each with a unique twist.
  • She read multiple books during her vacation to pass the time.
  • He has multiple interests, including photography, hiking, and cooking.
  • During the meeting, several team members brought up multiple ideas for the project.

Usage notes

Use 'multiple' in formal and neutral contexts to indicate more than one. Avoid in very casual conversations where simpler terms like 'many' might be preferred.

Grammar pattern

multiple + noun

Memory hint

Think 'multi' means many—like in 'multi-colored' indicates many colors.

Collocations

  • multiple choices
  • multiple times
  • multiple options
  • multiple sources
  • multiple facets

Synonyms

  • various
  • numerous
  • many
  • countless
  • several

Antonyms

  • single
  • one

Common mistakes

  • Used with uncountable nouns (e.g. saying 'multiple water').
  • Confused with 'multiples' in plural forms.
  • Incorrectly using it as an adjective for singular nouns.