Several-Multiple | Commonly Confused Words
Learn languages with fun

Master confusing words with ease

Several vs. Multiple

Several

/ˈsevərəl/
More than two but not many, indicating an indefinite, small number of something.

Examples:

Several evenings later Marian again visited him, this time alone.Anne taped several commercials and fled to Palm Beach with Kevin.Several true friends now came to visit Tom in prison.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Multiple

/ˈmʌltəpəl/
More than one; having many parts, numbers, or elements.

Examples:

Keep it somewhere multiple family members can see and add too.Telmen has given him multiple windows to move.Multiple explosions resound around me.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Several is often used when the number can be counted or is relatively small, think several apples, several days'.
  • Multiple implies many or more than a few, think multiple reasons, multiple occurrences.
  • Remember that several usually feels more limited than multiple.
  • Several suggests more than two but not a large number, whereas multiple could indicate a large or diverse range.
  • Use several when you want to emphasize a distinct countability without specificity, and multiple when the count is larger or the emphasis is on variety.
© 2025 Lithium Lab Pte Ltd