multitude

American  

[muhl-ti-tood, -tyood] / ˈmʌl tɪˌtud, -ˌtyud /

noun

1. a great number; host.

   a multitude of friends.

2. a great number of people gathered together; crowd; throng.

   Synonyms:

   mass

3. the state or character of being many; numerousness.

4. the multitude, the common people; the masses.

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multitude British  

/ ˈmʌltɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. a large gathering of people

2. the common people

3. a large number

4. the state or quality of being numerous

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Related Words

See crowd ¹.

Etymology

Origin of multitude

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English word from Latin word multitūdō. See multi-, -tude

Example Sentences

Depending on a multitude of factors, actually showing up in your new country could take months or years.

From MarketWatch

Winning hides a multitude of sins, and that was certainly the case here.

From BBC

They were served by a cosmopolitan retinue: Sri Lankan singers, Arab managers, European chefs and always Afghan workers in a multitude of indispensable roles.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It seems to me that the most exciting theater comes from a multitude of voices but involves universal themes,” Stone added.

From Los Angeles Times

Banks and asset managers were pledging to go “net zero,” and Democrats in Washington were advancing a multitude of policies to banish fossil fuels.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• horde
• legion
• myriad
• slew
• throng