Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MULTIFARIOUS
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pronounce
MULTIFARIOUS:
Say it "MULL tee FAIR ee us."
To hear it, click here.
Or, if you like to sound more relaxed, say it "MULL tih FAIR ee us."
connect this word to others:
Something bifarious has two parts.
Something trifarious: three parts.
Quadrifarious: four.
You see the pattern--let's skip ahead!
Multifarious: many parts.
And o___farious: many, many, many parts! All the parts. Can you recall this one?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
The word "multifarious" has Latin roots that literally mean "folded many times."
Multifarious things have lots of different parts.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "their multifarious interests," "the nation is multifarious."
Other forms:
Multifariously, multifariousness.
how to use it:
Compared to plainer synonyms like "complex," "complicated," "diverse," and "copious," the fun-to-say word "multifarious" calls attention to itself, so it's great for emphasis.
It's a bit formal. And it can take on a positive, negative, or neutral tone.
Talk about
multifarious sights and sounds;
multifarious displays and collections;
multifarious duties, requirements, and responsibilities;
multifarious talents, interests, knowledge, and beliefs;
multifarious careers, discographies, and curricula vitae;
multifarious needs and demands;
multifarious reasons, causes, effects, and consequences; etc.
examples:
"Then the sights, as you elbow your way through the crowd are equally multifarious. Here is a stall glittering with new tin saucepans; there another, bright with its blue and yellow crockery and sparkling white glass. Now you come to a row of old shoes, arranged along the pavement; now to a stand of gaudy tea-trays; then to a shop, with red handkerchiefs and blue checked shirts, fluttering backwards and forwards..."
— Henry Mayhew and John Binny, The Criminal Prisons of London: And Scenes of Prison Life, 1862
"Nowhere is the entire spectrum of eggplant shapes and colors more apparent or celebrated than India—the vegetable's birthplace and its second-largest producer worldwide. India grows more than a dozen cultivars of eggplant—or brinjals, as they are known locally—and is home to many wild eggplant relatives as well. Equally multifarious diseases and pests routinely ravage this abundance, but one does more damage than any other..."
— Ferris Jabr, Scientific American, 3 September 2013
has this page helped you understand "multifarious"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "multifarious" without saying "very varied" or "very diverse."
try it out:
Remember in Forrest Gump when Bubba Blue (played by Mykelti Williamson) listed the multifarious ways to prepare shrimp?
With shrimp in mind as an example, talk about another food that can be prepared in multifarious ways.
Or, talk about a problem that can be solved in multifarious ways, or a skill that can be learned in multifarious ways.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Polygon of Predestination!"
With a high five to TheWordFinder.com for its puzzle generator, I'm Pat-Sajacking that spin-the-wheel game from TV. Apply your alliterative acumen to solve the puzzle. The category all month long is: "Beastly Blunders and Criminal Capers."
From the previous issue:
Is this a bold move or a fashion faux pas? That's up for discussion, and so are the age and origin of this phrase, which remain hazy.
Try this one today:
Not sure yet? Need to see a bit more? Click here.
review this word:
A. UNIFORM.
B. PRODUCTIVE.
C. CLOSE-MINDED.
2. Coconut oil is surprisingly multifarious, _____.
A. loaded with saturated fat
B. useful in baking, skin care, and hair care
C. solid at room temperature but easy to melt
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Something bifarious has two parts.
The word "multifarious" has Latin roots that literally mean "folded many times."
Part of speech:
Compared to plainer synonyms like "complex," "complicated," "diverse," and "copious," the fun-to-say word "multifarious" calls attention to itself, so it's great for emphasis.
"Then the sights, as you elbow your way through the crowd are equally multifarious. Here is a stall glittering with new tin saucepans; there another, bright with its blue and yellow crockery and sparkling white glass. Now you come to a row of old shoes, arranged along the pavement; now to a stand of gaudy tea-trays; then to a shop, with red handkerchiefs and blue checked shirts, fluttering backwards and forwards..."
Explain the meaning of "multifarious" without saying "very varied" or "very diverse."
Remember in Forrest Gump when Bubba Blue (played by Mykelti Williamson) listed the multifarious ways to prepare shrimp?
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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