multi-purpose

A form of multipurpose — Designed or intended to fit more than one type of function or application; having multiple uses.

OriginEnglish purpose ← Middle English purpos ← Latin multī →
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Meanings

adjective
  1. alternativeAlternative form of multipurpose.

    In 2019, Balfour Beatty was awarded a five-year, £65 million contract to maintain and operate Network Rail's fleet of multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) to perform this task across Network Rail's Southern, Central and Anglia routes.

    2021 September 22, “National Rail Awards 2021: MPV Seasonal Treatment”, in RAIL, number 940, page 48

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
universal

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*moltos
  2. Latinmultus
  3. Latinmultī
  4. Middle Englishmulti-
  5. Englishmulti-
  6. Middle Englishpurpos
  7. Englishpurpose
  8. Englishmulti-purpose

From multi- + purpose.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

multi-purpose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/multi-purpose

MLA

“multi-purpose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/multi-purpose. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “multi-purpose,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/multi-purpose.

Source: multi-purpose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.