plurality

[ ploo-ral-i-tee ]
See synonyms for plurality on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural plu·ral·i·ties.
  1. the excess of votes received by the leading candidate, in an election in which there are three or more candidates, over those received by the next candidate (distinguished from majority).

  2. more than half of the whole; the majority.

  1. a number greater than one.

  2. fact of being numerous.

  3. a large number; multitude.

  4. state or fact of being plural.

  5. Ecclesiastical.

    • the holding by one person of two or more benefices at the same time; pluralism.

    • any of the benefices so held.

Origin of plurality

1
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English pluralite, from Old French, from Late Latin plūrālitās; see plural, -ity

synonym study For plurality

1. See majority.

Other words from plurality

  • non·plu·ral·i·ty, noun, plural non·plu·ral·i·ties.

Words that may be confused with plurality

Words Nearby plurality

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

How to use plurality in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for plurality

plurality

/ (plʊəˈrælɪtɪ) /


nounplural -ties
  1. the state of being plural or numerous

  2. maths a number greater than one

  1. US and Canadian the excess of votes or seats won by the winner of an election over the runner-up when no candidate or party has more than 50 per cent: British equivalent: relative majority

  2. a large number

  3. the greater number; majority

  4. another word for pluralism (def. 1)

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