multipolar

adjective

mul·​ti·​po·​lar ˌməl-tē-ˈpō-lər How to pronounce multipolar (audio)
-ˌtī-
1
: having several poles (see pole entry 3)
a multipolar generator
multipolar mitoses
2
: having several dendrites
multipolar neurons
3
: characterized by more than two centers of power or interest
a multipolar world
multipolarity
ˌməl-tē-pō-ˈler-ə-tē How to pronounce multipolar (audio)
-ˈla-rə-tē
-ˌtī-
noun

Examples of multipolar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In an increasingly multipolar world, countries such as Serbia – a regional powerhouse that the West has tried to prize away from its historic ally Russia – enjoy plenty of options. Christian Edwards, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025 His efforts at alliance building reflected not the beginning of a multipolar era but an ideological contest between democracy and autocracy in a new cold war with China. Michael Brenes, Foreign Affairs, 28 Jan. 2025 The post-Cold War era of America as sole superpower has evolved into a multipolar world where the United States confronts an alliance of autocracies that believe liberal democracy is a dying political system — even as many Americans have lost faith in their institutions. Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2025 And if Trump winds up accommodating Russia to pry it away from China, that would indicate that the United States must now navigate a multipolar world—exactly the understanding of geopolitics that the global South has come to embrace. Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for multipolar 

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of multipolar was in 1858

Dictionary Entries Near multipolar

Cite this Entry

“Multipolar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multipolar. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.

Medical Definition

multipolar

adjective
mul·​ti·​po·​lar ˌməl-ti-ˈpō-lər How to pronounce multipolar (audio) -ˌtī- How to pronounce multipolar (audio)
1
: having several poles
multipolar mitoses
2
: having several dendrites
multipolar nerve cells
multipolarity noun
plural multipolarities
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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