multivalent

adjective

mul·​ti·​va·​lent ˌməl-tē-ˈvā-lənt  -ˌtī- 

especially in sense 3

ˌməl-ˈti-və- 

1

: polyvalent

2

: represented more than twice in the somatic chromosome number

multivalent chromosomes

3

: having many values, meanings, or appeals

multivalent noun

Examples of multivalent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some find the last scene ambiguous, multivalent; some dark; others comic. —Literary Hub, 10 June 2026

The exhibition comprises four thematic sections, each corresponding to a different approach to elevating these multivalent stories. —The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026

Together, these elements underscore the exhibition’s multivalent nature, blurring distinctions between sculpture and performance, object and instrument, stillness and activation. —Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026

Rapid amyloid-β clearance and cognitive recovery through multivalent modulation of blood–brain barrier transport. —Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for multivalent

• hexavalent
• monovalent
• pentavalent
• polyvalent
• tetravalent
• univalent
• assailant
• covalent
• divalent
• inhalant

Medical Definition

multivalent

1 of 2 adjective

mul·​ti·​va·​lent ˌməl-ti-ˈvā-lənt  -ˌtī- 

1

: polyvalent

2

: represented more than twice in the somatic chromosome number

multivalent chromosomes

multivalent

2 of 2 noun

: a multivalent group of chromosomes