What does "multitudinous" mean?
Existing in multitudes or great numbers; very numerous; innumerable.
Multitudinous
/ˌmʌltɪˈtjuːdɪnəs/ adj
adj ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Existing in multitudes or great numbers; very numerous; innumerable.
- Grammar: multitudinous is listed as adj.
- Nearest alternatives: abundant, abundant, ample, billion.
- Useful contrasts: few, homogeneous, limited.
- Usage evidence: In youth we may have an absolutely new experience, subjective or objective, every hour of the day. Apprehension is vivid, retentiveness strong, and our recollections of that time, like those in a time spent in rapid and interesting travel, are of something intricate, multitudinous, and long-drawn-out. But as each passing year converts some of this experience into automatic routine which we hardly note at all, the days and the weeks smooth themselves out in recollection to a contentless unit, and the years grow hollow and collapse.
How to use "multitudinous"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "multitudinous" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "multitudinous" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "multitudinous" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "multitudinous" is acting as adj in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abundant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Existing in multitudes or great numbers; very numerous; innumerable.
"The great impoſtume of the realme vvas dravvne / Euen to a head: the multitudinous ſpavvne / VVas the corruption, vvhich did make it ſvvell / VVith hop'd ſedition (the burnt ſeed of hell.)"
- 2 Comprising a large number of features or parts; manifold, multiple, myriad; also, having a large number of forms.
"[I]n a State ſo multitudinous, where ſo many flocks of people muſt be fed, it is impoſſible to haue ſome Trades to ſtand, if they ſhould not Lye."
- 3 Comprising a large number of features or parts; manifold, multiple, myriad; also, having a large number of forms.; Of a sound: made by many people.
"From the whole extent of the invisible vale came a multitudinous intonation; it forced upon their fancy that a great city lay below them, and that the murmur was the vociferation of its populace."
- 4 Of a body of water, the sea, etc.: huge, vast; also, having innumerable ripples. literary, poetic
"VVill all great Neptunes ocean vvaſh this blood / Cleane from my Hand? no: this my Hand vvill rather / The multitudinous Seas incarnardine, / Making the Greene one, Red."
- 5 Followed by with: crowded with many people or things. obsolete, poetic
"The transport of a fierce and monstrous gladness / Spread thro' the multitudinous streets, fast flying / Upon the winds of fear; […]"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Of or relating to the multitude (“common people; masses”). obsolete, rare
"You […] That preferre / A Noble life, before a Long, and VViſh / To iumpe a Body vvith a dangerous Phyſicke, / That's ſure of death vvithout it: at once plucke out / The Multitudinous Tongue, let them not licke / The ſvveet vvhich is their poyſon."
- 7 Very fruitful or productive; prolific. figuratively, obsolete, rare
"[T]wo very multitudinous versifiers, Mr. Nightshade and Mr. Mac Laurel, who followed the trade of poetry, but occasionally indulged themselves in the composition of bad criticism."
Adjective
- 1 too numerous to be counted wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"In youth we may have an absolutely new experience, subjective or objective, every hour of the day. Apprehension is vivid, retentiveness strong, and our recollections of that time, like those in a time spent in rapid and interesting travel, are of something intricate, multitudinous, and long-drawn-out. But as each passing year converts some of this experience into automatic routine which we hardly note at all, the days and the weeks smooth themselves out in recollection to a contentless unit, and the years grow hollow and collapse."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "multitudinous"?
Common synonyms include: abundant, abundant, ample, billion, broad, complex.
How do you use "multitudinous" in a sentence?
In youth we may have an absolutely new experience, subjective or objective, every hour of the day. Apprehension is vivid, retentiveness strong, and our recollections of that time, like those in a time spent in rapid and interesting travel, are of something intricate, multitudinous, and long-drawn-out. But as each passing year converts some of this experience into automatic routine which we hardly note at all, the days and the weeks smooth themselves out in recollection to a contentless unit, and the years grow hollow and collapse.
How do you pronounce "multitudinous"?
Pronounced /ˌmʌltɪˈtjuːdɪnəs/.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin multitūdin- (the oblique stem of multitūdō (“great number (of people), multitude”)) + English -ous (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, denoting the presence of a quality in any degree (typically an abundance)). Multitūdō is derived from multus (“many; much”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mel- (“to be late; to worry”)) + -tūdō (suffix forming abstract nouns denoting a condition or state). By surface analysis, multitude + -in- (interfix used before Latinate suffixes appended to nouns ending with -itude or -tude) + -ous.