multiverse means the world, considered as lacking in purpose, design, or predictability.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, multiverse ranks #11,876 of 14,340 for Most Vivid Words.
multiverse is pronounced /ˈmʌltɪˌvɜːs/.
Why “multiverse” is a great word
The hypothetical set of all possible universes, including our own, or the collection of all distinct canons or timelines within a fictional property. Blend of 'multi-' (from Latin 'multus', meaning 'much, many') and 'universe' (from Latin 'universus', meaning 'all together, whole'), coined c. 1895 by American philosopher William James. Unlike 'universe' (which denotes a singular, self-contained totality) or 'cosmos' (which implies a singular, harmonious order), the multiverse posits an embarrassment of wholes—a proliferation of realities that may obey different physical laws entirely. It is the scientist's mathematical landscape of branching quantum states, the storyteller's tapestry of forked paths and divergent destinies, and the dreamer's quiet conviction that somewhere, a different choice was made. The multiverse is the human imagination seeking to house every possibility, because the burden of a single reality is too great to bear.
Etymology
First appeared c. 1895. Blend of multiple + universe, coined by American philosopher William James. By surface analysis, multi- + -verse.
noun
- The world, considered as lacking in purpose, design, or predictability.e.g.“Visible nature is all plasticity and indifference, a multiverse, as one might call it, and not a universe.”
- The hypothetical group of all the possible universes in existence.e.g.“Our universe is a very small part of the multiverse.”
- The different canons, continuities or timelines of a fictional property, considered as a whole.e.g.“In the DC multiverse, our reality is called "Earth-33". But in the Marvel multiverse, it's "Earth-1218".”
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