multi
multi — prefix
1. added to the beginning of adjectives and nouns to mean that something has many o
added to the beginning of adjectives and nouns to mean that something has many of a particular thing or quality — for example, a multicultural city has many different cultures, or a multi-storey building has many floors above ground.
Singapore is a multicultural city where Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Eurasian backgrounds mix.
multi- + cultural → adjective describing a society
The new shopping centre has a multi-storey car park with space for over 2,000 cars.
multi- + storey → adjective describing a building
Camila found a job at a multinational company with offices in seventeen countries.
Rin enrolled in a multimedia course that covered video production, podcasting, and graphic design.
The hotel offers multi-purpose rooms that can be used for conferences, weddings, and art exhibitions.
- mono-
means 'one' or 'single'; the direct opposite of multi-
文法句型
multi- + [noun] → adjective (e.g. multi-storey)
multi- + [adjective] → adjective (e.g. multicultural)
用法筆記
Only the prefix sense (HAVING MANY) attaches to adjectives like 'cultural' or 'national' to describe something with many aspects. When the focus is on counting things (e.g. multi-party talks), see the combining form sense below.
常見錯誤
multi — combining form
1. used before nouns to form adjectives and nouns meaning that something involves,
used before nouns to form adjectives and nouns meaning that something involves, affects, or consists of more than one of a particular thing — for example, a multi-party election involves more than one political party, or a multi-millionaire has many millions of pounds or dollars.
The country held its first multi-party election in sixty years, with eleven parties competing.
multi- + party → adjective describing an election
Obi invested in a multi-asset fund that spreads money across shares, bonds, and property.
The charity launched a multi-million-pound campaign to build schools in rural areas.
A multi-ethnic neighbourhood like this one includes families from Vietnamese, Somali, Polish, and Brazilian backgrounds.
Defne works on multi-agency projects where the police, local government, and health services share information.
- single
means 'only one'; the opposite of involving more than one
文法句型
multi- + [noun] → adjective (e.g. multi-party)
multi- + [noun] → noun (e.g. multi-millionaire)
用法筆記
This combining form differs from the prefix sense (HAVING MANY) in that it emphasises quantity or involvement of multiple entities rather than the presence of many features in one thing — e.g. 'multi-party' focuses on several parties acting together, while 'multicultural' describes a single thing with many cultural aspects.