plurality

noun

USpluu-RAL-uh-tee/plʊˈɹæləti/

10 meanings of plurality

1
most votesnouncountable
More votes than anyone else got, but less than half of all the votes.
She got a plurality, so she won even though most people voted for someone else.
The new rule needs only a plurality to pass, not half the votes.
Note
2
biggest partnouncountable
The biggest part of a whole, even when it is not more than half.
A plurality of the kids in our class chose pizza for the party.
Dogs were a plurality of the pets at the show, but there were plenty of cats and birds too.
3
more than onenoununcountable
Being more than one, or, in grammar, being in the plural form.
In English, plurality is often shown by adding s to a noun.
Some languages do not show plurality on the noun at all.
Note
4
nouncountable
A large number of things or people.
The city is home to a plurality of languages and foods.
The website lets a plurality of voices be heard, not just the loudest ones.
Similarvariety, range, multitude, array
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5
nouncountable
A group of two or more things.
The machine has a plurality of small fans along one side.
The drawing shows a plurality of holes in the metal plate.
Note
6
large numbernouncountable
The fact of there being many of something.
The plurality of shops on one short street surprised us.
Because of the plurality of choices, it took her an hour to pick a phone.
Similarmultiplicity
7
winning marginnouncountable
How much bigger one number is than another, most often how many more votes the winner got.
He won by a plurality of just 300 votes.
Her plurality got smaller as more votes came in.
Similarmargin, lead
Note
8
several selvesnouncountable or uncountable
Having more than one self or personality living in one body.
He talks openly about his plurality and the other selves who share his body.
She read a book about plurality to understand her friend better.
Similarmultiplicity
Note
9
several spousesnouncountable or uncountable
Having more than one husband or wife at the same time.
In the story, the king practiced plurality and had four wives.
Plurality of wives is against the law in many countries.
10
church postsnouncountable or uncountable
When one priest holds more than one paid job in the church at the same time.
People were angry about plurality, since one priest took pay from three churches.
The church ended pluralities, so each priest kept only one parish.
Similarpluralism
Note

Practice

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Origin

It comes from plural and the ending -ity, through French from Latin.