Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MULTIPLICITY
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pronounce
MULTIPLICITY:
Say it "mull tuh PLISS ih tee."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
You may have noticed that words like multiply, multiple, and multiplicity have at their hearts the Latin plicare, meaning "to fold" (and sometimes "to lay" or "to twist"). It makes sense when you think of multiplying as a kind of folding, laying, or twisting out, over and over.
Keeping plicare in mind, see if you can use it to build a word that means "not making sense: not able to be understood," or more literally, "not able to be folded out." It's ____plic____.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
We took the word "multiplicity" from a Latin one meaning "a state of being many times as great in number." More literally, its roots mean "something with many folds."
In English, a multiplicity of things is a large number of them.
Or, it's a state of having many different kinds, instead of just one kind.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Noun.
Often the countable kind: "There's a multiplicity of causes."
Also, in a fun twist of irony, the uncountable kind: "There is multiplicity in play here;" "the poem's multiplicity;" "her multiplicity of identities."
Other forms:
The only common one we'll bump into is the plural, "multiplicities." There's also a rare adjective, "multiplicious."
how to use it:
Pick the dramatic word "multiplicity" when you need to emphasize just how many of something there is--especially when people might assume that there's just one.
You might talk about a multiplicity of ideas, theories, perspectives, emotions, forms, issues, problems, opportunities, possibilities, identities, etc.
examples:
"[Indian] is a cuisine defined by its multiplicity. It is many cuisines in one, each resisting generalization and abridgment."
— Tejal Rao, New York Times, 9 March 2020
"When social media first appeared, its value seemed to be participatory. This was the radical promise, that it would open up the world to a multiplicity of voices. And it has. Many more people now have a voice than did."
— Emma Brockes, The Guardian, 14 June 2017
has this page helped you understand "multiplicity"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "multiplicity" without saying "a variety of things" or "a conglomeration of things."
try it out:
Think of something that's much more varied and complex than some people realize.
Fill in the blanks: "_____ (is, has, or shows) a multiplicity of _____."
Example 1: "The English language is a multiplicity of distinct dialects."
Example 2: "What we now call the Bible incorporates dozens of texts written over more than a millennium, evincing a multiplicity of approaches to life, the universe and everything."
— Jodi Eichler-Levine, Washington Post, 20 March 2020
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:
The name for this particular shenanigan dates back to 1970: "These plans are essentially multi-level marketing programs for a cosmetic line produced by Koscot." And Koscot--forgive my Schadenfreude--went down pretty fast. As Wikipedia reports, it "became entangled in numerous legal difficulties and went out of business in the 1970s."
Try this one today:
Not sure yet? Need to see a bit more? Click here.
review this word:
A. SYMPATHY.
B. SINGULARITY.
C. COMPLEXITY.
2. As the Quote Investigator has pointed out, a popular idea often takes a multiplicity of _____, making it a messy business of figuring out who said it first.
A. forms
B. consideration
C. popular culture
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.
You may have noticed that words like multiply, multiple, and multiplicity have at their hearts the Latin plicare, meaning "to fold" (and sometimes "to lay" or "to twist"). It makes sense when you think of multiplying as a kind of folding, laying, or twisting out, over and over.
We took the word "multiplicity" from a Latin one meaning "a state of being many times as great in number." More literally, its roots mean "something with many folds."
Part of speech:
Pick the dramatic word "multiplicity" when you need to emphasize just how many of something there is--especially when people might assume that there's just one.
"[Indian] is a cuisine defined by its multiplicity. It is many cuisines in one, each resisting generalization and abridgment."
Explain the meaning of "multiplicity" without saying "a variety of things" or "a conglomeration of things."
Think of something that's much more varied and complex than some people realize.
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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