'multidirectional' originates from the Latin prefix 'multi-' meaning 'many' and the word 'directional' from 'direction', which comes from the Latin 'directio', meaning 'a straight line or path'.

'multidirectional' evolved from the combination of 'multi-' and 'directional', which was influenced by the Latin 'directio'.

Initially, it meant 'involving many directions', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.