Standard Lemma guide

multiply

adj · adv · noun · verb · 14 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • mŭlʹtĭ-plē
  • /ˈmʌltɪpli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • mŭlʹtĭ-plī
  • /ˈmʌltɪplaɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M AH1 L T AH0 P L AY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having more than one ply or layer; multilayered.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

In many or multiple ways.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An act or instance of multiplying.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computer, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, science, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To increase the amount, degree or number of (something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To perform multiplication on (a number).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: arithmetic

Examples

  • when you multiply 3 by 7, you get 21; he multiplied several numbers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To grow in number.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To breed or propagate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To perform multiplication.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: arithmetic

Examples

  • He had been multiplying, but it occurred to him he needed to resolve the exponents, first.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To be a factor in a multiplication with (another factor).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adverb

Meaning 10

in several ways; in a multiple manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they were multiply checked for errors

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: singly

11

verb

Meaning 11

have offspring or produce more individuals of a given animal or plant

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The Bible tells people to procreate

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reproduce, procreate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: make, create

Narrower terms: propagate, fructify, set, breed, multiply, brood, hatch, cover, incubate

12

verb

Meaning 12

have young (animals) or reproduce (organisms)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • pandas rarely breed in captivity
  • These bacteria reproduce

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: breed

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reproduce, procreate, multiply

Narrower terms: pullulate

13

verb

Meaning 13

combine or increase by multiplication

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He managed to multiply his profits

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: manifold

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: increase

Narrower terms: double, duplicate, triple, treble, quadruple, quintuple, proliferate

14

verb

Meaning 14

combine by multiplication

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • multiply 10 by 15

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: divide

Broader terms: calculate, cipher, cypher, compute, work out, reckon, figure

Narrower terms: square, cube, raise

History

Etymology

multi- + ply

Etymology tree English multiple Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English multiply From multiple + -ly.

From Old French multiplier, from Latin multiplicō, from multi (“many”) + plicō (“to fold”). The noun presumably derives from the verb.

Across languages

Translations

183 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: բազմացնել (bazmacʻnel) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Armenian: շատացնել (šatacʻnel) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Bulgarian: увеличавам (uveličavam) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Bulgarian: множа (množa) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Catalan: multiplicar — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 增長 /增长 (zēngzhǎng) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Old Dutch: gimanagfaldon — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Old Dutch: managfaldon — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • French: multiplier — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Galician: multiplicar — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • German: vermehren — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Old High German: gimanagfalton — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Old High German: managfalton — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Ancient Greek: πληθύνω (plēthúnō) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Hungarian: sokszoroz — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Hungarian: megsokszoroz — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Kazakh: өршу (örşu) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Latin: accumulō — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Māori: whakaranea — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Old English: ġemaniġfealdian — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Old English: ġemanigfieldan — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Old Saxon: gimanagfaldian — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Old Saxon: gimanagfaldon — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Old Saxon: managfaldon — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Oromo: baa'isuu — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Oromo: horuu — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Polish: mnożyć — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Polish: pomnażać — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Polish: pomnożyć — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Quechua: miray — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Romanian: multiplica — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Romanian: înmulți — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Russian: приумно́жить (priumnóžitʹ) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Spanish: multiplicar — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Spanish: amochiguar — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Ukrainian: мно́жити (mnóžyty) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Ukrainian: помно́жувати (pomnóžuvaty) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Ukrainian: помно́жити (pomnóžyty) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Ukrainian: примно́жувати (prymnóžuvaty) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Ukrainian: примно́жити (prymnóžyty) — to increase the amount, degree, or number of
  • Albanian: shumëzoj — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Arabic: ضَرَبَ (ḍaraba) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Armenian: բազմապատկել (bazmapatkel) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Asturian: multiplicar — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Bashkir: ҡабатлау (qabatlaw) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Basque: biderkatu — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Belarusian: памнажа́ць (pamnažácʹ) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Belarusian: памно́жыць (pamnóžycʹ) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Bulgarian: умножа́вам (umnožávam) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Burmese: မြှောက် (hmrauk) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Catalan: multiplicar — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Chinese Mandarin: 乘 (chéng) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Czech: násobit — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Czech: vynásobit — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Czech: znásobit — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Danish: multiplicere — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Dutch: vermenigvuldigen — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Old Dutch: managfaldon — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Old Dutch: gimanagfaldon — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Esperanto: multipliki — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Esperanto: obligi — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Finnish: kertoa — to perform multiplication on a number
  • French: multiplier — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Galician: multiplicar — to perform multiplication on a number
  • German: malnehmen — to perform multiplication on a number
  • German: multiplizieren — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Old High German: gimanagfalton — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Greek: πολλαπλασιάζω (pollaplasiázo) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Ancient Greek: πολλαπλασιάζω (pollaplasiázō) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Hindi: गुणा करना (guṇā karnā) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Hungarian: szoroz — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Italian: moltiplicare — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Japanese: 掛ける (kakeru) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Kazakh: көбейту (köbeitu) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Khmer: គុណ (kun) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Khmer: សេង (seɛŋ) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Korean: 곱하다 (gophada) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Lao: ຄູນ (khūn) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Latin: multiplicō — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Lithuanian: padauginti — to perform multiplication on a number
  • : ᦅᦳᧃ (kun) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Macedonian: множи (množi) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Manx: yl-raghey — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Māori: whakarea — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Marathi: गुणणे (guṇṇe) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Mongolian: үржүүлэх (üržüülex) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Norwegian Bokmål: multiplisere — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gange — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: multiplisere — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: gange — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Old English: gemanigfieldan — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Old English: gemanigfealdian — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Old Saxon: gimanagfaldian — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Old Saxon: gimanagfaldon — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Persian: ضرب کردن (zarb kardan) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Polish: mnożyć — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Polish: pomnożyć — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Portuguese: multiplicar — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Romanian: multiplica — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Russian: умножа́ть (umnožátʹ) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Russian: умно́жить (umnóžitʹ) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Serbo-Croatian: množiti — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Shan: ၵုၼ်း (kún) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Slovak: násobiť — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Slovak: vynásobiť — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Slovene: množiti — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Southern Altai: кӧптӧӧр (köptöör) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Spanish: multiplicar — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Swedish: multiplicera — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Thai: คูณ (kuun) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Turkish: çarpmak — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Turkmen: köpelmek — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Ukrainian: мно́жити (mnóžyty) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Ukrainian: помно́жити (pomnóžyty) — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Uzbek: koʻpaytirmoq — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Vietnamese: nhân — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Walloon: mopliyî — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Welsh: lluosi — to perform multiplication on a number
  • Armenian: բազմանալ (bazmanal) — to grow in number
  • Bulgarian: увеличавам се (uveličavam se) — to grow in number
  • Bulgarian: множа се (množa se) — to grow in number
  • Catalan: multiplicar-se — to grow in number
  • Finnish: lisääntyä — to grow in number
  • French: se multiplier — to grow in number
  • Galician: multiplicarse — to grow in number
  • Ancient Greek: πληθύνομαι (plēthúnomai) — to grow in number
  • Hungarian: sokszorosít — to grow in number
  • Māori: ngaringari — to grow in number
  • Polish: mnożyć się — to grow in number
  • Polish: pomnażać się — to grow in number
  • Polish: pomnożyć się — to grow in number
  • Quechua: askhayay — to grow in number
  • Russian: приумножа́ться (priumnožátʹsja) — to grow in number
  • Russian: умножа́ться (umnožátʹsja) — to grow in number
  • Russian: умно́житься (umnóžitʹsja) — to grow in number
  • Spanish: multiplicar — to grow in number
  • Spanish: multiplicarse — to grow in number
  • Spanish: amochiguar — to grow in number
  • Swahili: kuzidi — to grow in number
  • Thai: เพิ่มขึ้น — to grow in number
  • Ukrainian: примно́жуватися (prymnóžuvatysja) — to grow in number
  • Ukrainian: збі́льшуватися (zbílʹšuvatysja) — to grow in number
  • Ukrainian: збі́льшитися (zbílʹšytysja) — to grow in number
  • Ukrainian: мно́житися (mnóžytysja) — to grow in number
  • Ukrainian: помно́жуватися (pomnóžuvatysja) — to grow in number
  • Ukrainian: помно́житися (pomnóžytysja) — to grow in number
  • Armenian: բազմանալ (bazmanal) — to breed or propagate
  • Bulgarian: размножавам се (razmnožavam se) — to breed or propagate
  • Bulgarian: множа се (množa se) — to breed or propagate
  • Catalan: multiplicar-se — to breed or propagate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 繁殖 (fánzhí) — to breed or propagate
  • French: se multiplier — to breed or propagate
  • Galician: multiplicarse — to breed or propagate
  • Hungarian: szaporít — to breed or propagate
  • Ladino: muchiguar — to breed or propagate
  • Māori: rea — to breed or propagate
  • Polish: mnożyć się — to breed or propagate
  • Polish: rozmnażać się — to breed or propagate
  • Polish: rozmnożyć się — to breed or propagate
  • Russian: размножаться (razmnožatʹsja) — to breed or propagate
  • Spanish: multiplicar — to breed or propagate
  • Spanish: multiplicarse — to breed or propagate
  • Ukrainian: розмно́жуватися (rozmnóžuvatysja) — to breed or propagate
  • Ukrainian: розмно́житися (rozmnóžytysja) — to breed or propagate
  • Walloon: si mopliyî — to breed or propagate
  • Bulgarian: умножавам (umnožavam) — to perform multiplication
  • Czech: násobit — to perform multiplication
  • French: faire la multiplication — to perform multiplication
  • Greek: πολλαπλασιάζω (pollaplasiázo) — to perform multiplication
  • Manx: yl-raghey — to perform multiplication
  • Norwegian Bokmål: multiplisere — to perform multiplication
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gange — to perform multiplication
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: multiplisere — to perform multiplication
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ganga — to perform multiplication
  • Polish: mnożyć — to perform multiplication
  • Polish: pomnożyć — to perform multiplication
  • Russian: умножа́ть (umnožátʹ) — to perform multiplication
  • Spanish: multiplicar — to perform multiplication
  • Swedish: multiplicera — to perform multiplication
  • Tagalog: magparami — to perform multiplication
  • Tagalog: paramihin — to perform multiplication
  • Thai: คูณ (kuun) — to perform multiplication
  • Ukrainian: мно́жити (mnóžyty) — to perform multiplication
Real reading context

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