multiple

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "multiple" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to more than one item, person, or thing. For example: "The Smith family has multiple children in their extended family."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"I've worked multiple disasters, but I've never worked an ice storm with a forecast like this.

The Guardian

At the end of the day, I think there are multiple theories out there on how the universe was created and I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all.

The New York Times

Sembène takes this brilliant scenario (based on a true story) and turns it into a chess game of multiple characters, an engrossing drama about African religion and, underneath that, a film about African pride.

The Guardian - Film

He sustained multiple injuries and was dead on arrival at hospital.

The Guardian

Multiple conservative groups including the influential Heritage Action came out against the bill and said it would be counted as a "key vote" in their rankings of legislators.

The Guardian

It used to be an opportunist crime – a dog taken from outside a shop, for instance – but now "it's much more about organised crime, where particular places are targeted, [such as] kennels, where there can be multiple thefts, particularly for valuable dogs".

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Salmond continued to talk of multiple questions, but it was nothing more than a bargaining chip for the talks – a way to extract concessions from Cameron on other issues: the timing of the poll, the wording of the question, and the franchise.

The Guardian

It started with the video, which has now inspired multiple crowdfunding and sanitary product collection projects to pop up across Europe, the US and Australia.

The Guardian

Michael Apted's Up series aside, it's an unprecedented piece of art, and emotionally rich enough to be deserving of multiple Oscars.

The Guardian - Film

Earlier this year the appeal court rejected a legal challenge by Debbie Purdy, a multiple sclerosis patient, who wanted a guarantee that her husband would not be prosecuted for helping her to travel to Switzerland to take her life.

The Guardian

I want the new government to focus on one major project at a time to execute, complete and implement for greater accountability and transparency rather than trying to execute multiple projects which are often mismanaged, incomplete and abandoned," she said.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "multiple" to indicate a quantity of more than one where precision is not critical. It implies a non-negligible quantity without being overly specific.

Common error

Avoid using "multiple" when a simpler word like "several" or "many" would suffice. Overusing "multiple" can make your writing sound unnecessarily formal or pretentious.

Linguistic Context

The word "multiple" primarily functions as an adjective, modifying nouns to indicate a quantity of more than one. Ludwig examples confirm its role in describing diverse items, occurrences, or aspects. Its grammatical function is consistent, aligning with Ludwig AI's assessment of correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "multiple" functions as an adjective indicating a quantity of more than one. As highlighted by Ludwig, it's grammatically correct and widely used across diverse domains. "Multiple" serves to denote quantity and variety without specifying exact numbers, often appearing in neutral to formal contexts such as news, business, and science. While synonyms like "numerous" and "several" exist, "multiple" is particularly useful when precision isn't crucial but the existence of more than one is relevant. Common writing errors include overusing it in simple contexts where less formal words would suffice.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

many

A general term indicating a large quantity, less formal than "numerous".

numerous

Indicates a large number, often used in more formal contexts.

more than one

Directly states that there is at least two or more.

several

Suggests more than two but not a large number, implying a limited quantity.

a number of

Implies a quantity greater than a few but not necessarily a large amount.

various

Emphasizes diversity and variety among the items or aspects being considered.

a variety of

Stresses the diversity or range within a group of items or aspects.

manifold

Highlights the varied and diverse nature of something, often in a more abstract sense.

a multitude of

Emphasizes a large and overwhelming quantity.

a plurality of

Suggests a condition of being plural or numerous.

FAQs

How can I use "multiple" in a sentence?

You can use "multiple" as an adjective before a noun to indicate more than one. For example, "The company has "multiple offices"" or "She has "multiple degrees"".

What's the difference between "multiple" and "many"?

"Multiple" indicates more than one, while "many" indicates a large quantity. "Multiple" is often used in more formal contexts. You could say "He has "many friends"", but it might be more appropriate to say "The project involved "multiple stakeholders"" in a business setting.

What are some synonyms for "multiple"?

Some synonyms for "multiple" include "numerous", "several", "various", and "manifold". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "multiple times"?

Yes, "multiple times" is a common and acceptable phrase to indicate that something happened more than once. For example, "I've visited that city "multiple times"".