multicolor

English

Alternative forms

• multicolour (British spelling)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin multicolor, equivalent to multi- +‎ color; see below.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌmʌltɪˈkʌlə/

Adjective

multicolor (not comparable)

1. (American spelling) Having, resembling, or pertaining to many colors.

   Synonyms: motley, multicolored, polychromatic; see also Thesaurus:multicolored

Translations

multicolored — see multicolored

Noun

multicolor (uncountable)

1. (American spelling) A display of many colors.

   a stamp printed in multicolor

Latin

Etymology

From multus (“much, many”) + color (“color”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [mʊɫˈtɪ.kɔ.ɫɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [mulˈtiː.ko.lor]

Adjective

multicolor (genitive multicolōris); third-declension one-termination adjective

1. Of many colors, many-colored, multicolored, multicolor.

Declension

Third-declension one-termination adjective.

	singular			plural
	masc./fem.	neuter		masc./fem.	neuter
nominative	multicolor			multicolōrēs	multicolōria
genitive	multicolōris			multicolōrium
dative	multicolōrī			multicolōribus
accusative	multicolōrem	multicolor		multicolōrīs multicolōrēs	multicolōria
ablative	multicolōrī multicolōre			multicolōribus
vocative	multicolor			multicolōrēs	multicolōria

Synonyms

• (multicolored): multicolōrus

Related terms

• color
• multicolōrus
• multus

Noun

multicolor f (genitive multicolōris); third declension

1. multicolored garment

Declension

Third-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	multicolor	multicolōrēs
genitive	multicolōris	multicolōrum
dative	multicolōrī	multicolōribus
accusative	multicolōrem	multicolōrēs
ablative	multicolōre	multicolōribus
vocative	multicolor	multicolōrēs

References

• “multicolor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “multicolor”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *mel-der.

Proto-Indo-European *ml̥tós?

Proto-Italic *moltos

Latin multusbor.

Portuguese multi-

Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *-s

Proto-Indo-European *-ōs

Proto-Indo-European *ḱélōs

Proto-Italic *kelōs

Old Latin colōs

Latin colorbor.

Portuguese color

Portuguese multicolor

From multi- + color.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /muw.t͡ʃi.koˈloʁ/ [muʊ̯.t͡ʃi.koˈloh]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /muw.t͡ʃi.koˈloʁ/ [muʊ̯.t͡ʃi.koˈloh]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /muw.t͡ʃi.koˈloɾ/ [muʊ̯.t͡ʃi.koˈloɾ]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /muw.t͡ʃi.koˈloʁ/ [muʊ̯.t͡ʃi.koˈloχ]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /muw.t͡ʃi.koˈloɻ/ [muʊ̯.t͡ʃi.koˈloɻ]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mul.ti.kuˈloɾ/ [muɫ.ti.kuˈloɾ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mul.ti.kuˈloɾ/ [muɫ.ti.kuˈloɾ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /mul.ti.kuˈlo.ɾi/ [muɫ.ti.kuˈlo.ɾi]

Adjective

multicolor m or f (plural multicolores)

1. multicoloured; multicolour (having multiple colours)

   Synonyms: multicolorido, multicor

Further reading

• “multicolor”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “multicolor”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French multicolore, from Latin multicolor.

Adjective

multicolor m or n (feminine singular multicoloră, masculine plural multicolori, feminine/neuter plural multicolore)

1. multicolored

Declension

Declension of multicolor

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	multicolor		multicoloră	multicolori	multicolore
	definite	multicolorul		multicolora	multicolorii	multicolorele
genitive- dative	indefinite	multicolor		multicolore	multicolori	multicolore
	definite	multicolorului		multicolorei	multicolorilor	multicolorelor

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin multicolor, equivalent to multi- +‎ color; see above.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /multikoˈloɾ/ [mul̪.t̪i.koˈloɾ]
• Rhymes: -oɾ
• Syllabification: mul‧ti‧co‧lor

Adjective

multicolor m or f (masculine and feminine plural multicolores)

1. varicolored (US), varicoloured (UK)

   Synonym: policromo

Further reading

• “multicolor”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025