Plurality
plʊˈræləti
Definitions
2 meaningsThe state of being plural or numerous; the greater number of votes received by a candidate, but not necessarily a majority.
plʊˈræləti
The state of being plural
The exhibit displayed a plurality of artifacts from the ancient civilization.
💡 Simply: It means having more than one, like when you have a *plurality* of cookies instead of just one. It's also used in elections when someone gets more votes than anyone else, but not *more* than half the total.
👶 For kids: It means there's more than one thing, or in an election, someone got the most votes, but not more than half.
More Examples
In the election, the candidate won by a plurality of just over 100 votes.
Due to a plurality of factors, the project faced numerous challenges.
How It's Used
"The word 'cats' has a plurality, indicating more than one cat."
"The candidate won by a plurality, but not a majority of the votes."
The state of being numerous; a variety or diversity of things.
plʊˈræləti
A situation where more than one thing exists.
The museum showcased the plurality of artwork from different time periods.
💡 Simply: It's like when there's a bunch of different things happening at once. For example, a city with many cultures has a *plurality* of experiences.
👶 For kids: It's like when there's more than one kind of anything, like different toys or different people.
More Examples
A healthy society embraces the plurality of its citizens’ beliefs.
The book delved into the plurality of themes and subplots.
How It's Used
"The philosopher explored the plurality of perspectives on moral issues."
"The city celebrated its plurality of cultures, languages, and traditions."
Idioms & expressions
Pluralistic society
A society that embraces multiple cultures, beliefs, and values.
"Canada is often described as a pluralistic society because it embraces a wide variety of cultures."
From Late Latin *pluralitas*, from Latin *pluralis* 'plural'.
Historically used in legal and political contexts to describe the winning condition in elections and the diversity of groups within a society.
Memory tip
Think of the word 'plural' and then add a '-ty', and you remember plurality.