multivalent

adjective

mul·ti·va·lent ˌməl-tē-ˈvā-lənt

-ˌtī-

especially in sense 3

ˌməl-ˈti-və-

: polyvalent

: represented more than twice in the somatic chromosome number

multivalent chromosomes

: having many values, meanings, or appeals

multivalent noun

Examples of multivalent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Despite the multivalent talents of Ives and Mantello, though, the piece, finished without Sondheim, cannot mend the ragged edge torn by his absence. —

Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2023 Her work, including somber sphinxian riddles and the quiet, unforgettable terror of the titular comic, reflects a complicated artist who fought against the sexist strictures of her era, leaving behind a rich, multivalent collection of art wholly her own. —

Gabrielle Bellot, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2020 Located in the specificity of her South African context, Kganye’s multivalent work resonates with her nation’s traumatic history of colonialism and apartheid, and her work often takes literature, theatre and oral histories as their point of departure. —

Vogue, 21 Mar. 2022 Cruz’s physicality is similarly multivalent. —

Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2021 The idea is that these multivalent shots could prep the body to recognize these viruses, should any of them take off in humans, helping prevent severe illness and death. —

Brenda Goodman, CNN, 22 Dec. 2022 In its very unconventionality as well as its focus on today’s youth, Social Sculpture is a living testament to the late multivalent talent. —

Janelle Zara, ELLE Decor, 5 July 2022 In remembering his life and times and attempting to parse the man from the myth, audiences come closer to understanding the multivalent meanings of American culture. —

Grant Wong, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2022 But Moderna touted the findings as evidence that bivalent or multivalent vaccines—those that target two or more versions of the virus in a single shot—are the way forward for COVID-19 boosters. —

Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 21 Apr. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'multivalent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.