multipurpose

M3U1L1T1I1P3U1R1P3O1S1E1
Canada, US/mʌltipɝpəs/

adjective

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

Similar
multiuseusefulutile
OriginEnglish purpose ← Middle English purpos ← Latin multī →
Less commonScrabble 18
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Meanings

adjectivemultipurpose (not comparable)

alternative multi-purpose

  1. not comparableDesigned or intended to fit more than one type of function or application; having multiple uses.
    1 more example

    Arguably the most potent version of that meme merges the heatmaps with a multipurpose version of the IQ bell curve, populated with three “wojaks” on the stupid, middlebrow, and supersmart bits of that curve. The liberal heatmap is paired with the figure in the meaty middle of the graph, while the conservative one fits with the narrower extremes of the IQ spectrum.

    2025 March 3, Frank Jacobs and Stephen Johnson, “The story behind the internet’s most viral (and misunderstood) political meme”, in Big Think, archived from the original on 19 Mar 2025

    Synonyms: multiuse

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveDesigned or intended to fit more than one type of function or application; having multiple uses.

Similar
multiuse

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivehaving multiple uses

Similar
usefulutile
Also see
all-purposemultipurposedmultiuseusefulutile

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mel-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ml̥tós?
  3. Proto-Italic*moltos
  4. Latinmultus
  5. Latinmultī
  6. Middle Englishmulti-
  7. Englishmulti-
  8. Middle Englishpurpos
  9. Englishpurpose
  10. Englishmultipurpose

From multi- + purpose.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian многоцелеви
  • многоцелеви (mnogocelevi)having multiple uses
Czech víceúčelový
  • víceúčelovýhaving multiple uses
Finnish monikäyttöinen, yleis-
  • monikäyttöinenhaving multiple uses
  • yleis-having multiple uses
French polyvalent, multifonction
  • polyvalenthaving multiple uses
  • multifonctionhaving multiple uses
  • multi-usageshaving multiple uses
  • à usages multipleshaving multiple uses
German mehrzweck-
  • mehrzweck-having multiple uses
Hindi बहुपयोगी
  • बहुपयोगी (bahupyogī)having multiple uses
Japanese 多目的
  • 多目的 (tamokuteki)having multiple uses
Polish wielozadaniowy
  • wielozadaniowyhaving multiple uses
Portuguese multiúso, multiúsos
  • multiúsohaving multiple uses
  • multiúsoshaving multiple uses
Romanian polivalent
  • polivalenthaving multiple uses
Russian многоцелево́й
  • многоцелево́й (mnogocelevój)having multiple uses
Slovak viacúčelový
  • viacúčelovýhaving multiple uses
Spanish multipropósito
  • multipropósitohaving multiple uses
Thai สารพัดประโยชน์, อเนกประสงค์
  • สารพัดประโยชน์ (sǎa-rá-pát-bprà-yòot)having multiple uses
  • อเนกประสงค์ (à-nêek-bprà-sǒng)having multiple uses
Vietnamese đa năng, vạn năng
  • đa nănghaving multiple uses
  • vạn nănghaving multiple uses
  • nhiều mục đíchhaving multiple uses
Cite this entry
APA

multipurpose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/multipurpose

MLA

“multipurpose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/multipurpose. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “multipurpose,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/multipurpose.

Source: multipurpose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.