[mul.ti.plic.i.ty] n, pl -ties [ME, fr. MF multiplicite, fr. LL multiplicitat-, multiplicitas, fr. L multiplic-, multiplex] (15c) 1 a: the quality or state of being multiple or various b: the number of components in a system (as a multiplet or a group of energy levels)
2: a great number
3: the number of times a root of an equation or zero of a function occurs when there is more than one root or zero