Word
plebiscite
US/ˈpɫɛbəˌsaɪt/
UK/plˈɛbɪsˌaɪt/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a vote where everyone in a country or area is asked to say yes or no to a specific question. It is usually used to decide on a major change in the law or government.
n. a direct vote by the electorate on a specific proposal or constitutional amendment. Often used to legitimize a political decision or to determine the status of a territory.
Examples
“The country held a plebiscite to decide on the new constitution.”
“After months of public debate, the government scheduled a national plebiscite to determine whether the border should be redrawn.”
“While the plebiscite was intended to settle the dispute once and for all, the narrow margin of victory only served to deepen the divisions within the local population.”
Examples
simple
“The country held a plebiscite to decide on the new constitution.”
contextual
“After months of public debate, the government scheduled a national plebiscite to determine whether the border should be redrawn.”
complex
“While the plebiscite was intended to settle the dispute once and for all, the narrow margin of victory only served to deepen the divisions within the local population.”
Real-World Examples
“Ensuring South Asia never again reaches “that precipice”, he said, requires a just solution to the Kashmir dispute, adding that Kashmiris had waited eight decades for a UN plebiscite.” “When Yang was last profiled by the Guardian , in 2016, he worried “that the times are more conservative now.” A year later, the result of the gay marriage plebiscite allayed his fears.” Etymology
Sense 1 (“referendum”) is borrowed from French plébiscite, from Latin plēbiscītum, plēbis scītum, plēbī scītum (“law of the common people or plebs”), from plēbis (the genitive singular of plēbs (“common people, plebeians”)) + scītum (“decree, ordinance, statute”). Sense 3 (“law enacted by the common people”) is a learned borrowing from Latin plēbiscītum: see above. It is attested earlier than English plebiscitum. Cognates * Italian plebiscito * Middle French plebiscite (modern French plébiscite) * Middle Low German plebiscīt (“ordinance”) * Spanish plebiscito, plebisçito (obsolete)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/plebiscite