plurality

Noun

plurality (countable and uncountable, plural pluralities)

1. (uncountable) The state of being plural.
   • Nominal plurality in Basque is originally exclusively marked on definite determiners and not on nouns.2025, Cid Swanenvleugel, The Pre-Roman Elements of the Sardinian Lexicon, page 333
2. The holding of multiple benefices.
   • It was the complaint and lamentation of Prelats, upon every least breath of a motion to remove pluralities, and distribute more equally Church revennu's, that then all learning would be for ever dasht and discourag'd.1644, John Milton, Areopagitica

   Synonyms:

   pluralism

3. (countable) A state of being numerous.

   Synonyms:

   multiplicity

4. (countable) A number or part of a whole which is greater than any other number or part, but not necessarily a majority.
   • “America will soon belong to the men and women … who can comfortably walk into a room and accept with real comfort the sensation that … there are no real majorities, only pluralities and coalitions.2012 November 9, Josh Levs, “The New America: What the election teaches us about ourselves”, in CNN, archived from the original on 06 Dec 2022
   • A plurality of respondents said Republicans were more to blame than Clinton in every single poll. Between 43% and 51% blamed Republicans and between 25% and 34% blamed Clinton, depending on the poll.2019 January 11, Grace Sparks, “Who gets blamed for a government shutdown?”, in CNN, archived from the original on 22 Sep 2023
5. (countable) A number of votes for a single candidate or position which is greater than the number of votes gained by any other single candidate or position voted for, but which is less than a majority of valid votes cast.
   • To repeal the tax (Question I), a 50 per cent majority vote is required. To keep the tax in its 1976 form (Question III), only a plurality of votes is required.1977 September 8, "Crime against clarity", editorial, Bangor Daily News, page 14 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=818zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TiMIAAAAIBAJ&pg=1343,2352985
   • It could also radicalize American politics and lead to presidents who are elected with very small pluralities, or who failed to qualify for the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.”2019 March 19, Zachary B. Wolf, “Why Democrats hate the Electoral College and Republicans love it”, in CNN, archived from the original on 11 Nov 2022

   Synonyms:

   relative majority

6. (countable) A margin by which a number exceeds another number, especially of votes.
   • Truman's total vote was 24,104,836. Dewey received 21,969,500;[…]. Truman won by a plurality of 2,135,336, but it was the first time since 1916 that a winner has failed to capture a majority of all votes cast.1948 December 10, “President Race Ignored by 683,382 Voters”, in The Deseret News, page A-2
7. (countable) A group of many entities: a large number.
   • A plurality of ideas were put forth at the meeting, most of which were rejected out of hand.
8. (countable) A group composed of more than one entity.
   • The array is organized into a plurality of vertical (column) blocks.1989, United States Patent 5065364, abstract
9. Polygamy.
10. Synonym of multiplicity (“the condition whereby a person displays or experiences multiple distinct personalities or selves in one body”).
    • In this paper I argue that hearing voices experiences and plurality are part of a broad, rich, and complex spectrum of human experience, […]2016, Lori F. Clarke, “Embracing Polyphony: Voices, Improvisation, and the Hearing Voices Network”, in Intersectionalities: A Global Journal of Social Work Analysis, Research, Polity, and Practice...
    • Clinical psychology tends to lean towards early childhood trauma as an explanation for the development of plurality, but many members of the plurality community report experiencing a multiplicity of selves before, or even completely in the absence of, trauma.2020, Tynan Drake, "Intersectional Representation: LGBTQ+ and neurodiverse voices in transmedia fiction", paper submitted to Ball State University, page 5

    Synonyms:

    multiplicity