pluralism

[ ploor-uh-liz-uhm ]
See synonyms for pluralism on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Philosophy.

    • a theory that there is more than one basic substance or principle.: Compare dualism (def. 2), monism (def. 1a).

    • a theory that reality consists of two or more independent elements.

  2. Ecclesiastical.

  1. Sociology. cultural pluralism.

  2. state or quality of being plural.

Origin of pluralism

1
First recorded in 1810–20; plural + -ism

Other words from pluralism

  • plu·ral·ist, noun, adjective
  • plu·ral·is·tic [ploor-uh-lis-tik], /ˌplʊər əˈlɪs tɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby pluralism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pluralism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pluralism

pluralism

/ (ˈplʊərəˌlɪzəm) /


noun
  1. the holding by a single person of more than one ecclesiastical benefice or office

  2. sociol a theory of society as several autonomous but interdependent groups which either share power or continuously compete for power

  1. the existence in a society of groups having distinctive ethnic origin, cultural forms, religions, etc

  2. a theory that views the power of employers as being balanced by the power of trade unions in industrial relations such that the interests of both sides can be catered for

  3. philosophy

Derived forms of pluralism

  • pluralist, noun, adjective
  • pluralistic, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for pluralism

pluralism

A conviction that various religious, ethnic, racial, and political groups should be allowed to thrive in a single society. In metaphysics, pluralism can also mean an alternative to dualism and monism. A pluralist asserts that there are more than two kinds of principles, whereas the dualist maintains there are only two and a monist only one.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.