multimillionaire

IPA/ˌmʌltimɪljəˈneə(r)/
KK[mˌʌltimˌɪljənˈɛr]IPA/ˌmʌltimɪljəˈner/

multimillionaire — noun

  • multimillionairesingular
  • multimillionairesplural

1. A person whose total assets — cash, property, stocks, and other valuables — add

1.nounB1
Definition

A person whose total assets — cash, property, stocks, and other valuables — add up to at least several million units of a major currency such as the U.S. dollar, the euro, or the pound.

Example

Ravi became a multimillionaire at twenty-eight when his app company was bought by a larger firm.

collocation: became a multimillionaire

The new hospital wing was paid for by a local multimillionaire who grew up in the neighborhood.

passive: paid for by a multimillionaire

Common collocations
  • became a multimillionaire
  • self-made multimillionaire
  • multimillionaire businessman/entrepreneur/investor
Synonyms
  • millionaire

    someone worth at least one million — a lower threshold than multimillionaire

  • billionaire

    someone worth at least one thousand million — a far higher level of wealth

  • very wealthy person

    a general description that does not specify a numerical threshold

Antonyms
  • pauper

    someone with very little money, at the opposite end of the wealth scale

Grammar Patterns

a/an + multimillionaire

possessive + multimillionaire

multimillionaire + noun

Usage Note

The prefix multi- means 'several', so a multimillionaire is significantly wealthier than a millionaire — the term typically implies assets of two million or more, not just one.

Common Mistakes

She is a multimillionaire with exactly one million dollars.
She is a millionaire with exactly one million dollars.
The prefix multi- means 'many'; a multimillionaire has several million, not just one.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Millionaire, multimillionaire, and billionaire form a hierarchy based on net worth. A millionaire has at least one million units of currency — a level many professionals can reach over a career. A multimillionaire has several million, which usually requires owning a successful business, valuable property, or substantial investments. A billionaire has at least one thousand million, an extreme level achieved by only a few hundred people globally. 'Very wealthy person' is a looser term that covers anyone with significantly more money and assets than average, regardless of exact numbers. In news articles, 'multimillionaire' often describes lottery winners and tech founders, while 'billionaire' tends to refer to industrialists and global investors.

millionaire ↗billionaire ↗very wealthy person

Common collocations

Nouns

  • multimillionaire businessman
  • multimillionaire entrepreneur
  • multimillionaire investor
  • multimillionaire philanthropist

Phrases

  • self-made multimillionaire
  • become a multimillionaire

Etymology

LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

Multimillionaire is formed from the prefix multi-' (meaning 'many', from Latin multus) and millionaire (from French millionnaire, itself from Italian milione, a large thousand). The word appeared in English in the early 1900s, when industrial fortunes began to far exceed a single million, requiring a new term for wealth on a larger scale.