Multiplicitously

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Characterized by the existence or occurrence of multiple forms or aspects
2. Exhibiting the quality of being manifold or various in nature
3. Relating to the state of being diverse and having several dimensions or elements

Etymology: "Multiplicitously" is formed from "multiplicitous," which in turn comes from "multiplicity" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ous." "Multiplicity" entered English in the 1500s from Late Latin "multiplicitas," a noun built from "multiplex" (many-fold) and the suffix "-itas," which turns an adjective into an abstract noun. The root "multiplex" combines "multus" (many) with "-plex," related to "plicare" (to fold), so the underlying sense is "folded many times." The adjective "multiplicitous" appeared in the 1600s, and the adverb "multiplicitously" is simply the adjective with the usual "-ly" ending attached, meaning "in a multiplicitous manner," or in many ways at once. It is a rare, mostly literary and technical-sounding word, and most dictionaries record its use as an adverb with little further history.