multimedia

See also: Multimedia, multimédia, and multimèdia

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *mel-der.

Proto-Indo-European *ml̥tós?

Proto-Italic *moltos

Latin multus

Latin multīder.

Middle English multi-

English multi-

English media

English multimedia

From multi- + media.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌmʌltiˈmiːdi.ə/
• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˌmʌltiˈmidi.ə/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌmɐltiˈmiːdi.ə/, /ˌmaltiˈmiːdi.ə/
• Rhymes: -iːdiə

Noun

multimedia (uncountable)

1. The combined use of sound, video, and text to present an idea.

Derived terms

• multimediatize
• multimediocrity
• nonmultimedia

Related terms

• multimedial

Descendants

• → Finnish: multimedia
• → Hungarian: multimédia
• → Italian: multimedia
• → Japanese: マルチメディア (maruchimedia)
• → Korean: 멀티미디어 (meoltimidieo)
• → Russian: мультиме́диа (mulʹtimédia)
  • → Kazakh: мультимедиа (multimedia)
• → Spanish: multimedia

Translations

The use of different media to convey information

• Arabic: اَلْوَسَائِط اَلْمُتَعَدِّدَة pl (al-wasāʔiṭ al-mutaʕaddida)
• Belarusian: мультыме́дыя pl (mulʹtymjédyja)
• Catalan: multimèdia (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 多媒體 / 多媒体 (zh) (duōméitǐ)

• Estonian: multimeedia pl
• Finnish: multimedia (fi)
• French: multimédia (fr) m
• Georgian: მულტიმედია (mulṭimedia)
• German: Multimedia (de) n
• Greek: πολυμέσο (el) n (polyméso)
• Hindi: मल्टीमीडिया (malṭīmīḍiyā)
• Hungarian: multimédia (hu)
• Japanese: マルチメディア (maruchimedia), 複合媒体 (ふくごうばいたい, fukugō-baitai)
• Kazakh: мультимедиа (multimedia)
• Korean: 멀티미디어 (meoltimidieo)
• Māori: rongorau
• Norman: multimédia m
• Polish: multimedia (pl) nvir
• Portuguese: multimédia (pt) m (Portugal), multimídia (pt) f (Brazil)
• Romanian: multimedia f
• Russian: мультиме́диа (ru) n pl (mulʹtimédia)
• Spanish: multimedia (es) m or f
• Swedish: multimedia (sv) pl
• Thai: มัลติมีเดีย
• Turkish: çoklu ortam (tr), multimedya (tr)
• Ukrainian: мультиме́діа (uk) n pl (mulʹtymédia)
• Vietnamese: đa phương tiện (vi) (多方便)
• Volapük: mödamedäd
• Yiddish: מולטימעדיאַ (multimedya)

Adjective

multimedia (not comparable)

1. of, or relating to this combined use of media
2. (computing) of, or relating to an application that can combine such media into an integrated package

Translations

of, or relating to this combined use of media

• Catalan: multimèdia (ca)
• Finnish: multimedia-
• Georgian: მულტიმედიური (mulṭimediuri)
• Polish: multimedialny (pl)
• Romanian: multimedia f
• Spanish: multimedia (es), multimedial, multimediático
• Ukrainian: мультимеді́йний (mulʹtymedíjnyj)
• Volapük: mödamedädik

(computing) of, or relating to an application that can combine such media into a package

• Catalan: multimèdia (ca) m or f
• Finnish: multimedia-
• Georgian: მულტიმედიური (mulṭimediuri)
• Māori: rongorau
• Polish: multimedialny (pl)
• Spanish: multimedia (es), multimedial, multimediático

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• German: multimedial (de), Multimedia- (in compound words)

See also

• hypermedia

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from English multimedia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmultiˌmediɑ/, [ˈmul̪t̪iˌme̞diɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ediɑ
• Syllabification^(key): mul‧ti‧me‧di‧a
• Hyphenation^(key): multi‧media

Noun

multimedia

1. multimedia

Declension

Inflection of multimedia (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)
nominative		multimedia	multimediat
genitive		multimedian	multimedioiden multimedioitten
partitive		multimediaa	multimedioita
illative		multimediaan	multimedioihin
		singular	plural
nominative		multimedia	multimediat
accusative	nom.	multimedia	multimediat
	gen.	multimedian
genitive		multimedian	multimedioiden multimedioitten multimediain rare
partitive		multimediaa	multimedioita
inessive		multimediassa	multimedioissa
elative		multimediasta	multimedioista
illative		multimediaan	multimedioihin
adessive		multimedialla	multimedioilla
ablative		multimedialta	multimedioilta
allative		multimedialle	multimedioille
essive		multimediana	multimedioina
translative		multimediaksi	multimedioiksi
abessive		multimediatta	multimedioitta
instructive		—	multimedioin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of multimedia (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative multimediani multimediani accusative nom. multimediani multimediani gen. multimediani genitive multimediani multimedioideni multimedioitteni multimediaini rare partitive multimediaani multimedioitani inessive multimediassani multimedioissani elative multimediastani multimedioistani illative multimediaani multimedioihini adessive multimediallani multimedioillani ablative multimedialtani multimedioiltani allative multimedialleni multimedioilleni essive multimedianani multimedioinani translative multimediakseni multimedioikseni abessive multimediattani multimedioittani instructive — — comitative — multimedioineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative multimediasi multimediasi accusative nom. multimediasi multimediasi gen. multimediasi genitive multimediasi multimedioidesi multimedioittesi multimediaisi rare partitive multimediaasi multimedioitasi inessive multimediassasi multimedioissasi elative multimediastasi multimedioistasi illative multimediaasi multimedioihisi adessive multimediallasi multimedioillasi ablative multimedialtasi multimedioiltasi allative multimediallesi multimedioillesi essive multimedianasi multimedioinasi translative multimediaksesi multimedioiksesi abessive multimediattasi multimedioittasi instructive — — comitative — multimedioinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative multimediamme multimediamme accusative nom. multimediamme multimediamme gen. multimediamme genitive multimediamme multimedioidemme multimedioittemme multimediaimme rare partitive multimediaamme multimedioitamme inessive multimediassamme multimedioissamme elative multimediastamme multimedioistamme illative multimediaamme multimedioihimme adessive multimediallamme multimedioillamme ablative multimedialtamme multimedioiltamme allative multimediallemme multimedioillemme essive multimedianamme multimedioinamme translative multimediaksemme multimedioiksemme abessive multimediattamme multimedioittamme instructive — — comitative — multimedioinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative multimedianne multimedianne accusative nom. multimedianne multimedianne gen. multimedianne genitive multimedianne multimedioidenne multimedioittenne multimediainne rare partitive multimediaanne multimedioitanne inessive multimediassanne multimedioissanne elative multimediastanne multimedioistanne illative multimediaanne multimedioihinne adessive multimediallanne multimedioillanne ablative multimedialtanne multimedioiltanne allative multimediallenne multimedioillenne essive multimediananne multimedioinanne translative multimediaksenne multimedioiksenne abessive multimediattanne multimedioittanne instructive — — comitative — multimedioinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative multimediansa multimediansa accusative nom. multimediansa multimediansa gen. multimediansa genitive multimediansa multimedioidensa multimedioittensa multimediainsa rare partitive multimediaansa multimedioitaan multimedioitansa inessive multimediassaan multimediassansa multimedioissaan multimedioissansa elative multimediastaan multimediastansa multimedioistaan multimedioistansa illative multimediaansa multimedioihinsa adessive multimediallaan multimediallansa multimedioillaan multimedioillansa ablative multimedialtaan multimedialtansa multimedioiltaan multimedioiltansa allative multimedialleen multimediallensa multimedioilleen multimedioillensa essive multimedianaan multimedianansa multimedioinaan multimedioinansa translative multimediakseen multimediaksensa multimedioikseen multimedioiksensa abessive multimediattaan multimediattansa multimedioittaan multimedioittansa instructive — — comitative — multimedioineen multimedioinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• multimediasanoma
• multimediatekniikka
• multimediaviesti

Further reading

• “multimedia”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English multimedia.

Noun

multimedia m (invariable)

1. multimedia

Adjective

multimedia (invariable)

1. alternative form of multimediale

Polish

Etymology

Internationalism; compare English multimedia, French multimédia, German Multimedia. By surface analysis, multi- +‎ media.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mul.tiˈmɛ.dja/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛdja
• Syllabification: mul‧ti‧me‧dia

Noun

multimedia nvir pl (related adjective multimedialny)

1. multimedia (combined use of sound, video, and text to present an idea)
2. (computing) multimedia (IT products in the form of programs, games, etc., using images, sound, animation, or other means that affect the active use of the user)

Declension

Declension of multimedia

	plural
nominative	multimedia
genitive	multimediów
dative	multimediom
accusative	multimedia
instrumental	multimediami
locative	multimediach
vocative	multimedia

Related terms

adverbs

• multimedialnie

nouns

• multimedialność

Further reading

• “multimedia”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “multimedia”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)
• multimedia in PWN's encyclopedia

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French multimédia.

Adjective

multimedia m or f or n (indeclinable)

1. multimedia

Declension

Declension of multimedia (invariable)

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	multimedia		multimedia	multimedia	multimedia
	definite	—		—	—	—
genitive- dative	indefinite	multimedia		multimedia	multimedia	multimedia
	definite	—		—	—	—

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English multimedia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /multiˈmedja/ [mul̪.t̪iˈme.ð̞ja]
• Rhymes: -edja
• Syllabification: mul‧ti‧me‧dia

Noun

multimedia f (plural multimedias)

1. (computing) multimedia

Adjective

multimedia (invariable)

1. (computing) multimedia, media

Further reading

• “multimedia”, 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