multipolar
adjective
mul·ti·po·lar
ˌməl-tē-ˈpō-lər 
-ˌtī-
1
: having several poles (see pole entry 3)
a multipolar generator
multipolar mitoses
2
: having several dendrites
multipolar neurons
3
: characterized by more than two centers of power or interest
a multipolar world
Examples of multipolar in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Both experts concur that the rise of India’s economy signals the emergence of a multipolar economic world order characterized by simultaneous collaboration and competition, with the far-reaching impact of its growth felt widely.
—
Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
This move brought into stark relief a development that some experts have been predicting for years: the end of the post–Cold War, unipolar moment and the beginning of a new multipolar era, in which the United States must coexist with other powers.
—Blaise Malley, The New Republic, 5 Oct. 2023
Will America welcome a multipolar world in which unchecked dictatorships once again lay down the law?
—Bernard-Henri Lévy, The Mercury News, 2 Jan. 2024
Confronted with this increasingly complex and multipolar world order, Washington must find a new approach to its international economic strategy.
—Peter E. Harrell, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
Unlike at Bretton Woods, when two countries — Britain and the United States — could devise a plan, the world is now multipolar with different political systems.
—Martin Daunton, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2023
From the start of Russia’s war with Ukraine, India has taken a neutral stance, citing its longtime ties with Moscow and insisting on its right to navigate a multipolar world its own way.
—Sameer Yasir, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2023
And a multipolar world, where several great powers jostle for advantage on the global stage, harbors the potential for more conflicts, large and small.
—Paul Poast, The Atlantic, 17 Nov. 2023
Putin and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, frequently extol a new multipolar world, with vague words about democratizing the Security Council.
—Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023
Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
This move brought into stark relief a development that some experts have been predicting for years: the end of the post–Cold War, unipolar moment and the beginning of a new multipolar era, in which the United States must coexist with other powers.
—Blaise Malley, The New Republic, 5 Oct. 2023
Will America welcome a multipolar world in which unchecked dictatorships once again lay down the law?
—Bernard-Henri Lévy, The Mercury News, 2 Jan. 2024
Confronted with this increasingly complex and multipolar world order, Washington must find a new approach to its international economic strategy.
—Peter E. Harrell, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
Unlike at Bretton Woods, when two countries — Britain and the United States — could devise a plan, the world is now multipolar with different political systems.
—Martin Daunton, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2023
From the start of Russia’s war with Ukraine, India has taken a neutral stance, citing its longtime ties with Moscow and insisting on its right to navigate a multipolar world its own way.
—Sameer Yasir, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2023
And a multipolar world, where several great powers jostle for advantage on the global stage, harbors the potential for more conflicts, large and small.
—Paul Poast, The Atlantic, 17 Nov. 2023
Putin and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, frequently extol a new multipolar world, with vague words about democratizing the Security Council.
—Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'multipolar.' 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
International Scientific Vocabulary
First Known Use
1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near multipolar
Cite this Entry
“Multipolar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multipolar. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Medical Definition
multipolar
adjective
mul·ti·po·lar
ˌməl-ti-ˈpō-lər
-ˌtī-
-ˌtī-
1
: having several poles
multipolar mitoses
2
: having several dendrites
multipolar nerve cells
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share