multivalence
noun
mul·tiv·a·lence
ˌməl-ˈti-və-lən(t)s 
: the quality or state of having many values, meanings, or appeals
Examples of multivalence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
From the earliest work to the last, Duras retained her enigmatic multivalence.
—
Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Dec. 2022
There is an anarchic edge and deliberate multivalence of expression even in the most geometric and minimal kinds of abstract painting.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2022
As Saturday’s vocal soloist, Nicole Cabell eloquently projected this sense of multivalence, her soprano blooming brightly with the work’s poetic contours.
—Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 11 July 2022
The playful language of chance and multivalence, suggestive of new possibilities, replaces them.
—John Zotos, Dallas News, 27 Feb. 2020
Its multivalence lies in its artful blending of the conventions of musical theater, opera, and jazz, yet also in its blending of sardonic social critique and autobiography.
—Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 13 May 2018
The works of music in 2016 that seemed most representative of their time all suggested, in some way, a positive state of unfinishedness or multivalence, through either the music itself or the creator, or both.
—Ben Ratliff, Esquire, 2 Dec. 2016
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Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Dec. 2022
There is an anarchic edge and deliberate multivalence of expression even in the most geometric and minimal kinds of abstract painting.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2022
As Saturday’s vocal soloist, Nicole Cabell eloquently projected this sense of multivalence, her soprano blooming brightly with the work’s poetic contours.
—Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 11 July 2022
The playful language of chance and multivalence, suggestive of new possibilities, replaces them.
—John Zotos, Dallas News, 27 Feb. 2020
Its multivalence lies in its artful blending of the conventions of musical theater, opera, and jazz, yet also in its blending of sardonic social critique and autobiography.
—Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 13 May 2018
The works of music in 2016 that seemed most representative of their time all suggested, in some way, a positive state of unfinishedness or multivalence, through either the music itself or the creator, or both.
—Ben Ratliff, Esquire, 2 Dec. 2016
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'multivalence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1882, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near multivalence
Cite this Entry
“Multivalence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multivalence. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
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