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

multipolarity

ˌməl-tē-pō-ˈler-ə-tē 

-ˈla-rə-tē, 

-ˌtī-

noun

Examples of multipolar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Countries from Brazil to India to Turkey are restructuring their partnerships to reflect a multipolar world in which influence is dispersed and interests shift across issues. —Yusuf Tuggar, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026

Putin also assumed that a multipolar world would free him from American interference. —Alan Cullison, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026

While no single country can replicate the sheer scale of China's recent history, their collective weight represents a new multipolar reality in energy governance. —Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026

The economic order is increasingly multipolar, and other countries have options. —Ian Bremmer, Time, 6 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for multipolar

• ambipolar
• areolar
• bronchiolar
• circumpolar
• equimolar
• monopolar
• nucleolar
• unipolar
• vacuolar
• arteriolar
• microcontroller
• bipolar

Medical Definition

multipolar

adjective

mul·​ti·​po·​lar ˌməl-ti-ˈpō-lər  -ˌtī- 

1

: having several poles

multipolar mitoses

2

: having several dendrites

multipolar nerve cells

multipolarity

-pō-ˈlar-ət-ē 

noun

plural multipolarities