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Webster 1913 Edition


Multitude

Mul′ti-tude

,
Noun.
[F.
multitude
, L.
multitudo
,
multitudinis
, fr.
multus
much, many; of unknown origin.]
1.
A great number of persons collected together; a numerous collection of persons; a crowd; an assembly.
But when he saw the
multitudes
, he was moved with compassion on them.
Matt. ix. 36.
2.
A great number of persons or things, regarded collectively;
as, the book will be read by a
multitude
of people; the
multitude
of stars; a
multitude
of cares.
It is a fault in a
multitude
of preachers, that they utterly neglect method in their harangues.
I. Watts.
A
multitude
of flowers
As countless as the stars on high.
Longfellow.
3.
The state of being many; numerousness.
They came as grasshoppers for
multitude
.
Judg. vi. 5.
The multitude
,
the populace; the mass of men.
Syn. – Throng; crowd; assembly; assemblage; commonalty; swarm; populace; vulgar. See
Throng
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Multitude

MUL'TITUDE

,
Noun.
[L. multitudo, form multus, many.]
1.
The state of being many; a great number.
2.
A number collectively; the sum of many.
3.
A great number, indefinitely.
It is a fault in a multitude of preachers, that they utterly neglect method in their harangues.
4.
A crowd or throng; the populace; applied to the populace when assembled in great numbers, and to the mass of men without reference to an assemblage.
He the vast hissing multitude admires.
The multitude have always been credulous, and the few artful.

Definition 2024


multitude

multitude

English

Noun

multitude (plural multitudes)

  1. A great amount or number, often of people; myriad; profusion; abundance.
    • 1855, Whitman, Walt, Song of Myself”, in Leaves of Grass, book III, section 51:
      Do I contradict myself? / Very well then I contradict myself, / (I am large, I contain multitudes.)
    • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses, Episode 12, The Cyclops
      A torrential rain poured down from the floodgates of the angry heavens upon the bared heads of the assembled multitude which numbered at the lowest computation five hundred thousand persons.
    • 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “chapter XIV”, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, OCLC 1227855:
      “Well, let's hope you're right, darling. In the meantime,” said Kipper, “if I don't get that whisky-and-soda soon, I shall disintegrate. Would you mind if I went in search of it, Mrs Travers?” “It's the very thing I was about to suggest myself. Dash along and drink your fill, my unhappy young stag at eve.” “I'm feeling rather like a restorative, too,” said Bobbie. “Me also,” I said, swept along on the tide of the popular movement. “Though I would advise,” I said, when we were outside, “making it port. More authority. We'll look in on Swordfish. He will provide.” We found Pop Glossop in his pantry polishing silver, and put in our order. He seemed a little surprised at the inrush of such a multitude, but on learning that our tongues were hanging out obliged with a bottle of the best [...]
  2. The mass of ordinary people; the populous or the masses
    • Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations


French

Etymology

From Old French multitude, a borrowing from Latin multitudo.

Pronunciation

Noun

multitude f (plural multitudes)

  1. multitude

Old French

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin multitudo.

Noun

multitude f (oblique plural multitudes, nominative singular multitude, nominative plural multitudes)

  1. crowd of people
  2. diversity; wide range

Descendants