# plurality

/pɫɝˈæɫɪti/ (US) · /plɔːɹˈælɪti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/plurality
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. the state of being plural

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

the state or fact of being more than one.

For teachers: the state or condition of being plural; the quality of involving more than one instance or entity.

- The teacher explained the plurality of the noun by adding an 's' to the end.
- The philosopher argued that the plurality of truths in modern society makes absolute certainty impossible to achieve.

### 2. voting/elections

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

getting more votes than anyone else, but not more than half of all the votes.

For teachers: the number of votes cast for a candidate who receives more than any other but does not receive an absolute majority.

- He won the election with a plurality of 40 percent in a three-way race.
- In a multi-party system, a candidate often secures a seat with a mere plurality, leaving the majority of the electorate unrepresented by their first choice.

### 3. a large number

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

a large number of different people or things.

For teachers: a large number or variety of people, things, or entities existing together.

- The city is home to a plurality of cultures and languages.
- The researcher noted a plurality of factors that contributed to the economic collapse, rather than a single cause.

### 4. psychology/identities

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the condition where one person feels they have more than one identity or personality.

For teachers: the condition of experiencing or displaying multiple distinct personalities or selves within a single body.

- The patient described their experience of plurality as having several voices in their head.
- Modern clinical discussions regarding plurality often distinguish between pathological dissociation and healthy forms of multi-faceted identity.

## Examples

- The city is known for its plurality of cultures.
- The candidate won the seat with a plurality of the vote, though two other parties split the remaining sixty percent.
- Modern psychological theories often embrace a plurality of perspectives, acknowledging that no single framework can fully account for the complexities of human cognition and behavior.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.