Dictionary

multiverse en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Mid-Atlantic, US) audio
• /ˈmʌltiːˌvɜ(ɹ)s/ (UK)
• /ˈmʌltəˌvɝs/ (General-American)
• /ˈmʌltɪˌvɜːs/ (UK)
• /ˈmʌltiˌvɝs/ (General-American)

Etymology

First appeared c. 1895. Blend of multiple + universe, coined by American philosopher William James. By surface analysis, multi- + -verse.

Meanings

1. The world, considered as lacking in purpose, design, or predictability.
   • I've never gone through a place like Racine without thinking which house with the rubber-tire swing for kids and piano-practicing inside was like Stiva Lausch's, who had two daughters brought up with every refinement, including piano lessons, and how such little-speaking Odessa-bred sons had gotten on a track like this through the multiverse. 1953 September 18, Saul Bellow, chapter VI, in The Adventures of Augie March […], New York, N.Y.: The Viking Press, →OCLC, pages 94–95:
   • Visible nature is all plasticity and indifference, a multiverse, as one might call it, and not a universe. 1895 October, William James, “Is Life Worth Living?”, in International Journal of Ethics, page 10:
2. The hypothetical group of all the possible universes in existence.
   • I have been describing show us that the multiverse exists and that it contains many counterparts of each particle in the tangible universe. To reach the further conclusion that the multiverse is roughly partitioned into parallel universes, we must consider interference phenomena involving more than one tangible particle. 1998 [1997], David Deutsch, The Fabric of Reality, New York: Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 46:
   • Our universe is a very small part of the multiverse.
   • And, it must be remembered, that in the great multiverse they were a mere scattering of seeds; seeds that must survive many elements if they were to grow. 1963 May, Michael Moorcock, “The Blood Red Game”, in Science Fiction Adventures, volume 6, number 32, London: Nova Publications:
   • I can’t help feeling that in the closest arm of the multiverse, there is a version of me that is fatter and happier. 2020, Raven Leilani, Luster, Picador, published 2021, page 26:
3. The different canons, continuities or timelines of a fictional property, considered as a whole.
   • What’s better than a Marvel Cinematic Universe? A Marvel Cinematic Multiverse. Once limited to theoretical physics and comic-book plot conveniences, the notion of a multiverse has been an essential tool for Hollywood. Whether it’s a role that’s been cast and recast, a franchise character that gets a spin-off when the larger story ends, or simply a reboot telling a new story without upending its origins, the answer to any big movie problem is often: multiverse. 2022 April 23, Kevin Townsend, Shirley Li, David Sims, Spencer Kornhaber, “Everything Everywhere All at Once Is Multiverse Storytelling at Its Best”, in The Atlantic:
   • In the DC multiverse, our reality is called "Earth-33". But in the Marvel multiverse, it's "Earth-1218".

Forms

Deriveds

multiversal · quantum multiverse

Meronyms

parallel universe · monoverse

Relateds

nulliverse · universe

Synonyms

superverse · maniverse · pluriverse · meta-universe · metaverse · metauniverse

Translations (38)

kk мультиәлем (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · cs mnohovesmír (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · th มัลติเวิร์ส (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · el πολυσύμπαν (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · nl multiversum (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · sd گھڻنات (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · ar كون متعدد (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · ka მულტისამყარო (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · pl wieloświat (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · vi đa vũ trụ (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · hu multiverzum (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · ja 多元宇宙 (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · pt multiverso (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · cmn 多元宇宙 (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · ka მრავალგანზომილება (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · ga ilchruinne (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · sv multiversum (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · ja マルチバス (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · hi महाब्रह्मांड (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · it multiverso (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · ko 다중우주 (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · de Multiversum (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · ko 멀티버스 (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · ka მრავალსამყარო (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · he יקום מקביל (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · et multiversum (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · tr multiverse (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · la multiversum (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · th พหุจักรวาล (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · sk multiverzum (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · ru мультивселе́нная (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · hi बहुब्रह्मांड (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · es multiverso (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · th พหุภพ (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · ca multivers (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · fr multivers (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · fi multiversumi (hypothetical group of all possible universes) · sh мултиверзум (hypothetical group of all possible universes)