Phrase: multi-faceted (adjective)

Associations

"Multi-faceted" means having many sides or aspects. Think of a diamond with many faces; each face is a different angle or part. This word is often used to describe things, people, or problems that are complex and have several different features or qualities.

• Example 1: "She has a multi-faceted personality." This means she has many different qualities or traits.
• Example 2: "The project is multi-faceted and requires teamwork." This means the project has many parts or challenges.
• Example 3: "The issue is multi-faceted, involving economics, politics, and culture." This means the problem has many different sides to consider.

A synonym is "complex," but "multi-faceted" emphasizes the idea of many different parts or angles, while "complex" just means complicated or not simple.

Substitution

You can replace "multi-faceted" with:

• "many-sided" (less common, but similar meaning)
• "complex" (focus on difficulty or complication)
• "diverse" (focus on variety)
• "multi-dimensional" (focus on many dimensions or aspects)

Each substitution changes the focus slightly. For example, "complex" may stress difficulty, while "diverse" stresses variety.

Deconstruction

• "Multi-" is a prefix meaning "many."
• "Faceted" comes from "facet," which means a small flat surface on a gem or a part of something. So "multi-faceted" literally means "having many faces or parts."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a person or thing in your life that is multi-faceted? What are its different sides?
• How would you describe a problem that is multi-faceted compared to a simple problem?
• Can something be multi-faceted but not complex? Why or why not?