multiplicity
noun
mul·ti·plic·i·ty
ˌməl-tə-ˈpli-sə-tē 
plural multiplicities
1
2
: a great number
3
: the number of times a root of an equation or zero of a function occurs when there is more than one root or zero
the multiplicity of x = 2 for the equation (x − 2)3 = 0 is 3
Examples of multiplicity in a Sentence
a multiplicity of suggestions for turning the company around
Shakespeare's works seem to encompass the full multiplicity of human experience.
Recent Examples on the Web
And that is the power of having a team with a multiplicity of different prisms.
—
Matthew Phillips, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Frame is invested in those who fail such performances, and who sometimes reach a type of multiplicity far past them.
—Audrey Wollen, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2025
Instead, Sand-Catcher asks what is lost when the multiplicity of experience is reduced to a single, traumatic story.
—Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024
It should not be crafted as a polemic but as a pragmatic assessment of why, from the business perspective, the rule of law serves the national interest in a multiplicity of clearly articulated ways.
—Mark A. Cohen, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for multiplicity
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Matthew Phillips, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Frame is invested in those who fail such performances, and who sometimes reach a type of multiplicity far past them.
—Audrey Wollen, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2025
Instead, Sand-Catcher asks what is lost when the multiplicity of experience is reduced to a single, traumatic story.
—Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024
It should not be crafted as a polemic but as a pragmatic assessment of why, from the business perspective, the rule of law serves the national interest in a multiplicity of clearly articulated ways.
—Mark A. Cohen, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for multiplicity
Cite this Entry
“Multiplicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multiplicity. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
multiplicity
noun
mul·ti·plic·i·ty
ˌməl-tə-ˈplis-ət-ē
plural multiplicities
1
: the quality or state of being multiple or various
2
: a great number
Medical Definition
multiplicity
noun
mul·ti·plic·i·ty
ˌməl-tə-ˈplis-ət-ē
plural multiplicities
1
: the quality or state of being multiple or various
2
: the ratio of the number of infectious particles (as of a bacteriophage) to the number of cells at risk
monolayer cultures … were infected at an effective multiplicity of approximately 100—J. J. Holland
J. J. HollandLegal Definition
multiplicity
noun
mul·ti·plic·i·ty
ˌməl-tə-ˈpli-sə-tē
plural multiplicities
1
a
: the quality or state of being multiple or various
b
: the charging of a single criminal act or offense as multiple separate charges or counts of an indictment or information
multiplicity does not require dismissal of the indictment—W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel
compare duplicity sense 2, misjoinder
W. R. LaFave and J. H. IsraelNote: Multiplicity raises the risk of violating the double jeopardy protection against receiving multiple sentences for a single offense. Multiplicity is a defect that can be corrected without dismissal of the case.
2
: a great number
joinder is allowed to avoid a multiplicity of actions
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