The document defines multimedia as media that uses multiple forms of content such as text, audio, video, and animation. It discusses how multimedia was first used in the 1970s for slideshow presentations and how Tay Vaughan later defined it as a combination of text, graphics, sound, animation, and video delivered by a computer. The document also lists some key components of multimedia and discusses how it has become synonymous with modern technology by enhancing presentations and being used for both educational and entertainment purposes, while also noting it can be complex, time-consuming, and expensive to create.