plurality: difference between revisions

English

Etymology

plural +‎ -ity, from Middle English pluralite, from Old French pluralité (“multitude, state of being plural”), from Latin plūrālitās.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ælɪti

Noun

plurality (countable and uncountable, plural pluralities)

1. (uncountable) The state of being plural.
2. (ecclesiastical) The holding of multiple benefices.
   • 1644, John Milton, Aeropagitica:

     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.

3. (countable) A state of being numerous.
4. (countable) A number or part of a whole which is greater than any other number or part, but not necessarily a majority.
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.
   • 1977 September 8, "Crime against clarity", editorial, Bangor Daily News, page 14 [1]:

     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.

6. (countable) A margin by which a number exceeds another number, especially of votes.
   • 1948 December 10, "President Race Ignored by 683,382 Voters", The Deseret News, page A-2 [2]:

     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.

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.
   • 1989, United States Patent 5065364, abstract:

     The array is organized into a plurality of vertical (column) blocks.

9. (of spouses) Polygamy.

Synonyms

• (state of being numerous): multiplicity
• (most votes in election, but less than 50%): relative majority, simple majority
• (ecclesiastical): pluralism

Antonyms

• singularity
• absolute majority

Translations

the state of being plural

• Catalan: pluralitat f
• Finnish: monikollisuus (fi), moninaisuus (fi)
• French: pluralité (fr) f
• Galician: pluralidade (gl) f
• Georgian: მრავლობითობა (mravlobitoba), უმრავლესობა (umravlesoba), უმეტესობა (umeṭesoba)
• German: Pluralität (de) f
• Greek: πολλαπλότητα (el) f (pollaplótita)
• Italian: pluralità (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: plūrālitās f
• Manx: yl-raght f
• Portuguese: pluralidade (pt) f
• Romanian: pluralitate (ro) f
• Russian: мно́жественность (ru) f (mnóžestvennostʹ)
• Spanish: pluralidad (es) f
• Turkish: çoğulluk (tr)

most votes in election, but less than 50%

• Dutch: relatieve meerderheid
• Finnish: suhteellinen enemmistö
• Greek: πλειοψηφία (el) f (pleiopsifía)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Persian: اکثریت نسبی (fa) (aksariyat-e nesbi)
• Swedish: relativ majoritet (sv), enkel majoritet (sv)

group composed of more than one entity

• Catalan: pluralitat f
• Esperanto: pluraĵo
• Finnish: monikollisuus (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: πλήθος (el) n (plíthos)
• Russian: мно́жество (ru) n (mnóžestvo)