multiply

1 of 3

verb

mul·​ti·​ply ˈməl-tə-ˌplī How to pronounce multiply (audio)
multiplied; multiplying

transitive verb

1
: to increase in number especially greatly or in multiples : augment
2
a
: to find the product of by multiplication
multiply 7 and 8
b
: to use as a multiplicand in multiplication with another number
multiply 7 by 8

intransitive verb

1
a
: to become greater in number : spread
2
: to perform multiplication

multiply

2 of 3

adverb

mul·​ti·​ply ˈməl-tə-plē How to pronounce multiply (audio)
: in a multiple manner : in several ways
multiply talented children

multi-ply

3 of 3

adjective

mul·​ti-ply ˌməl-tē-ˈplī How to pronounce multi-ply (audio)
-ˌtī-
: composed of several plies
Choose the Right Synonym for multiply

increase, enlarge, augment, multiply mean to make or become greater.

increase used intransitively implies progressive growth in size, amount, or intensity

his waistline increased with age

; used transitively it may imply simple not necessarily progressive addition.

increased her landholdings

enlarge implies expansion or extension that makes greater in size or capacity.

enlarged the kitchen

augment implies addition to what is already well grown or well developed.

the inheritance augmented his fortune

multiply implies increase in number by natural generation or by indefinite repetition of a process.

with each attempt the problems multiplied

Examples of multiply in a Sentence

Verb Complaints about the new procedure soon multiplied. Her responsibilities multiplied when she was promoted. Her responsibilities were multiplied by the promotion. The bacteria multiply rapidly in warm, moist conditions. The teacher taught the children how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Pay an additional $1 to add the Power Play for a chance to multiply all Powerball winnings except for the jackpot. Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Mar. 2024 For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature can multiply non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times. Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024 Take the act of multiplying matrices, or arrays of numbers. Quanta Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 One, an area downtown where five enforcement zones largely overlap (significantly multiplying the apparent number of repopulations), has had persistent encampments despite both enforcement under the anti-camping law and outreach under Inside Safe. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 May his sincere donation be multiplied by the Creator. Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 Those losses will be booked retroactively in the bank’s fourth quarter, meaning its surprise loss was just multiplied by 10 times. Michelle Chapman, Quartz, 1 Mar. 2024 The Megaplier is a special feature in Mega Millions that multiplies non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, or five, depending on which Megaplier is randomly selected before the drawing. Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 However, one added the Megaplier to their ticket, which multiplied their winnings by four to $40,000. Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024
Adverb
Parasites that cause malaria multiply inside of the host’s red blood cells and the G6PD gene codes for an enzyme, which protects red blood cells from damage. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 While companies established in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automated Driving (AD) —ZF, Bosch, Continental, Mobileye, Valeo, and others — had a solid showing, the wanna-be suppliers multiply every year. Richard Bishop, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 As these doubts and suspicions multiply, all sides will lose the incentive to avoid provocative moves. Bonnie S. Glaser, Foreign Affairs, 30 Nov. 2023 Once inside the body, anthrax microbes multiply, produce potent toxins and trigger illness, with the kind of illness depending on how anthrax got into the body. Robert Hart, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023 Israeli forces push deeper into Gaza as invasion expands, risks multiply Not long after that exchange, the meeting ended. Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023 Decades of studies show those risks multiply with every hospitalization and each delay in care. Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2023 Then, the T cells multiply and target the tumor cells that have neoantigens on them, attacking and potentially destroying them. Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 16 May 2023 Either of these things can cause the bacteria inside to rapidly multiply — eventually, the appendix becomes swollen with pus. Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2023
Adjective
Rolls of hanji in every texture, color and thickness line the walls of the two-story space, ranging from smooth letter-sized pages to premium multi-ply options. Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Nov. 2023 Founded 99 years ago in the Northern Italian town of Trivero in Piedmont, the brand is a mainstay of wintertime luxury, known for its multi-ply cashmere knitwear, featherweight vicuña scarves and tailored wool overcoats. New York Times, 1 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'multiply.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English multiplien, from Anglo-French multiplier, from Latin multiplicare, from multiplic-, multiplex multiple

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adverb

1881, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of multiply was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near multiply

Cite this Entry

“Multiply.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multiply. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

multiply

verb
mul·​ti·​ply
ˈməl-tə-ˌplī
multiplied; multiplying
1
a
: to increase in number : make or become more numerous
b
: to produce offspring : breed
rabbits multiply rapidly
2
a
: to use in finding a product by multiplication
multiply 7 and 8
multiply 7 by 8
b
: to perform multiplication
first divide and then multiply

More from Merriam-Webster on multiply

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