Multiplicity | Definition of multiplicity by Merriam-Webster

Full Definition of MULTIPLICITY

1

a : the quality or state of being multiple or various

b : the number of components in a system (as a multiplet or a group of energy levels)

2

: a great number

3

: the number of times a root of an equation or zero of a function occurs when there is more than one root or zero <the multiplicity of x = 2 for the equation (x − 2)³ = 0 is 3>

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Origin of MULTIPLICITY

Middle English, from Middle French multiplicité, from Late Latin multiplicitat-, multiplicitas, from Latin multiplic-, multiplex

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to MULTIPLICITY

Synonyms: abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle, bushel, carload, chunk, deal, dozen, fistful, gobs, good deal, heap, hundred, lashings (also lashins) [chiefly British], loads, mass, mess, mountain, much, lot, myriad, oodles, pack, passel, peck, pile, plateful, plenitude, plentitude, plenty, pot, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, sheaf, shipload, sight, slew, spate, stack, store, ton, truckload, volume, wad, wealth, yard

Antonyms: ace, bit, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, handful, hint, lick, little, mite, mouthful, nip, ounce, peanuts, pinch, pittance, scruple, shade, shadow, smidgen (also smidgeon or smidgin or smidge), speck, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, taste, touch, trace

Rhymes with MULTIPLICITY

authenticity, catholicity, domesticity, eccentricity, elasticity, electricity, historicity, specificity, synchronicity

Medical Definition of MULTIPLICITY

1

: the quality or state of being multiple or various

2

: the ratio of the number of infectious particles (as of a bacteriophage) to the number of cells at risk <monolayer cultures…were infected at an effective multiplicity of approximately 100—J. J. Holland>

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "multiplicity"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "multiplicity"

Nglish: Translation of "multiplicity" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "multiplicity" for Arabic speakers

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