multiple

adjective mul·ti·ple \ ˈməl-tə-pəl \

|Updated on: 16 Aug 2018

Examples: multiple in a Sentence

Definition of multiple

1 : consisting of, including, or involving more than one

multiple births

multiple choices

2 : many, manifold

multiple achievements

He sufferred multiple injuries in the accident.

3 : shared by many

multiple ownership

4 : having numerous aspects or functions : various

life is very multiple; full of movements, facts, and news
—John Galsworthy

5 : being a group of terminals (see ²terminal 3) which make a circuit available at a number of points

6 : formed by coalescence of the ripening ovaries (see ovary 2) of several flowers

a multiple fruit

See multiple defined for English-language learners

See multiple defined for kids

Examples of multiple in a Sentence

She made multiple copies of the report.
a person of multiple achievements
He suffered multiple injuries in the accident.

Recent Examples of multiple from the Web

The indictment alleges that Guccifer 2.0 was in touch with multiple Americans in the summer of 2016 about the pilfered material, including an unidentified congressional candidate who requested and then received stolen information.

— CBS News, "Trump responds to Russian hacking indictment by blaming Obama administration," 14 July 2018
Once again, multiple investigations found blatant safety errors.

— mike hendricks, kansascity, "Firefighters protect us. Who protects them?," 13 July 2018
Both Johnson & Johnson and Monsanto, the companies that make the two products, are fighting off multiple claims.

— NBC News, "Johnson & Johnson talc verdict goes against what is known about cancer," 13 July 2018
This, of course, has hugely unforeseen implications today, with Trump facing both multiple investigations and lawsuits.

— aaron blake, Washington Post, "4 big questions about Brett Kavanaugh," 10 July 2018
And in the months since Rapp went public, more than a dozen other men have come forward, leading to multiple investigations in Los Angeles, Nantucket, Mass. and London.

— maeve mcdermott, USA TODAY, "Robin Wright breaks silence on Kevin Spacey: 'He was never disrespectful to me'," 9 July 2018
Reports of his mismanagement of the agency and misuse of taxpayer funds have surfaced with startling regularity in recent months, and spiraled into multiple investigations.

— alana abramson, Time, "EPA Head Scott Pruitt Resigns After Months of High-Profile Scandals," 5 July 2018
Mesa police Chief Ramon Batista last month called for local officials and a national police-review group to conduct multiple investigations into excessive-force allegations.

— jason pohl, azcentral, "Phoenix police gets go-ahead for $149K study into police shootings as record pace continues," 5 July 2018
Two men are facing multiple charges after allegedly smashing the windows of nine vehicles in Whitman and attempting to shoot a man with a BB gun early Saturday morning, police said.

— elise takahama, BostonGlobe.com, "Two men arrested in car vandalism spree in Whitman," 14 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'multiple.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of multiple

French, from Latin multiplex, from multi- + -plex -fold — more at -fold

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1647

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

multiple Synonyms

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

multiple

noun

Definition of multiple

1 a : the product of a quantity by an integer

35 is a multiple of 7

b : something in units of more than one or two

2 : parallel 4b

3 chiefly British : chain store

See multiple defined for English-language learners

Examples of multiple in a Sentence

35 is a multiple of 7.
12 is a multiple of 6.

Recent Examples of multiple from the Web

Hong Kong clocked a median multiple of 18.1, down from 19 last year. 2.

— james griffiths, CNN, "Two-thirds of world population will live in cities by 2050: UN report," 16 May 2018
Does that mean that even a 25 multiple is too high for a huge, mature tech titan?

— shawn tully, Fortune, "These Companies Were Hit Hardest by the Big Selloff," 6 Feb. 2018
Intense orgasms may happen more easily than usual—and multiples are much more likely.

— the editors, Marie Claire, "10 Tips for a Better Orgasm," 18 July 2017
In his past 14 outings, he's allowed multiple runs four times, including seven earned runs in six innings over his past seven appearances.

— jon meoli, baltimoresun.com, "As Zach Britton's trade value for Orioles improves, Brad Brach's spirals further," 10 July 2018
Earnings multiples are in line with the five-year average, suggesting valuations aren’t especially low.

— jacky wong, WSJ, "China, Not the World Cup, Is the Real Worry for Macau," 3 July 2018
Havre de Grace scored multiple runs in four of six at bats en route to an 12-6 win over Rising Sun.

— randy mcroberts, The Aegis, "HdG girls win District 5 Major Softball title," 29 June 2018
That multiple was about 20 times just three years ago.

— charley grant, WSJ, "How Amazon Made Pharmacies Ill," 28 June 2018
After their prison time, these immigrants have to regularly check in with ICE, who often detain them again, indefinitely, in facilities that resemble prisons, and essentially punish them for the same crime multiple times.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "There Are Few Second Chances for Immigrants Who Commit Crimes," 27 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of multiple

see ¹multiple

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1660

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Financial Definition of MULTIPLE

multiple

noun

What It Is

A multiple is a relative valuation metric used to estimate the value of a stock.

How It Works

Let's look at an example to illustrate the concept.

Assume that Big Store's stock is trading at $14 and the company's earnings per share (EPS) is $2. Therefore, Big Store's price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) is $14/$2 = 7. This number -- "7" -- is known as a multiple.

Here's how you could use it in your analysis:

Assume the average P/E ratio for the companies in Big Store's industry is 10. By applying the average industry multiple to Big Store's earnings per share (EPS), you can estimate the price Big Store "should" be trading at a higher price. Here's the calculation:

Price = EPS * Multiple

Price = $2 * 10 = $20

In this example, it appears that Big Store's stock price should be trading at $20 instead of $14. If your analysis is correct, you would want to buy the company today and wait for the price to adjust to where it "should" be, locking in a healthy $6 gain.

Why It Matters

You can apply a multiple to any number of performance measures, but some of the most common include EPS, EBITDA, book value and revenue.

Investors use multiples to gain some insight into whether a company's stock price is too high or too low.

Multiples are quick, but limited tools for stock analysis. They can provide a snapshot of a stock’s potential without getting bogged down in the details of the financial statements.

Unfortunately, most of the useful details are in the financial statements. For example, Big Store may trade at a lower multiple relative to its peers because it isn't growing as fast. Or perhaps its management team is not as effective. If you only use the earnings multiple to estimate the stock's intrinsic value, you're working without 99.9% of the available information.

The bottom line is that multiples can be complementary tools in your financial toolbox. However, they should never be the only tools you use.

Source: Investing Answers

MULTIPLE Defined for English Language Learners

multiple

adjective

Definition of multiple for English Language Learners

: more than one
: shared by many people

multiple

noun

Definition of multiple for English Language Learners

mathematics : a number that can be produced by multiplying a smaller number

MULTIPLE Defined for Kids

multiple

adjective mul·ti·ple \ ˈməl-tə-pəl \

Definition of multiple for Students

: being or consisting of more than one

We need multiple copies.

multiple

noun

Definition of multiple for Students

: the number found by multiplying one number by another

35 is a multiple of 7.

Medical Dictionary

multiple

adjective mul·ti·ple \ ˈməl-tə-pəl \

medical Definition of multiple

1 : consisting of, including, or involving more than one

multiple births

2 : affecting many parts of the body at once

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for multiple Spanish Central: Translation of multiple Nglish: Translation of multiple for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of multiple for Arabic speakers

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multiple

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