plurality
noun
plu·ral·i·ty
plu̇-ˈra-lə-tē 
plural pluralities
1
2
: pluralism sense 1
also
: a benefice held by pluralism
3
a
: a number greater than another
b
: an excess of votes over those cast for an opposing candidate
c
: a number of votes cast for a candidate in a contest of more than two candidates that is greater than the number cast for any other candidate but not more than half the total votes cast
Examples of plurality in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But her support in Squirrel Hill’s precincts actually fell slightly: After winning the area with a narrow plurality of 46 percent two years ago, Lee won only 43 percent to Patel’s 57 percent on Tuesday.
—
Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 26 Apr. 2024
Illicit drug users, by contrast, were not so much a discrete and insular minority as an anonymous and diffuse plurality of the population: dispersed throughout all segments of society, poorly organized, largely in the closet.
—David Pozen, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024
Instead, someone in this congressional race could win with a plurality as small as just over a third of the vote.
—Daniel Borenstein, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
Ofcom is obliged by law to promote free speech and media plurality, and to ensure that alternative voices are heard.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Mar. 2024
Independent polling has been limited, but two surveys released this week showed Moreno and Dolan fighting for the lead with a plurality of voters undecided.
—Haley Bemiller, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
In a portion of the lead opinion written by Judge Jennifer Elrod, an eight-judge plurality said that bump stocks are clearly not covered by the statutory definition of machine gun.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024
Polling released last year from Saint Louis University and British pollster YouGov, found that a plurality of 41% of those surveyed disagreed that betting on college and professional sports should be legal, while 35% agreed.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2024
Fifty-five percent of respondents in a Feb. 8-11 YouGov poll said that student loan debt was somewhat or very important to them, but a plurality, 44 percent, thought borrowers should have to repay them while only 40 percent said the government should forgive them.
—Monica Potts, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 26 Apr. 2024
Illicit drug users, by contrast, were not so much a discrete and insular minority as an anonymous and diffuse plurality of the population: dispersed throughout all segments of society, poorly organized, largely in the closet.
—David Pozen, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024
Instead, someone in this congressional race could win with a plurality as small as just over a third of the vote.
—Daniel Borenstein, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
Ofcom is obliged by law to promote free speech and media plurality, and to ensure that alternative voices are heard.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Mar. 2024
Independent polling has been limited, but two surveys released this week showed Moreno and Dolan fighting for the lead with a plurality of voters undecided.
—Haley Bemiller, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
In a portion of the lead opinion written by Judge Jennifer Elrod, an eight-judge plurality said that bump stocks are clearly not covered by the statutory definition of machine gun.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024
Polling released last year from Saint Louis University and British pollster YouGov, found that a plurality of 41% of those surveyed disagreed that betting on college and professional sports should be legal, while 35% agreed.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2024
Fifty-five percent of respondents in a Feb. 8-11 YouGov poll said that student loan debt was somewhat or very important to them, but a plurality, 44 percent, thought borrowers should have to repay them while only 40 percent said the government should forgive them.
—Monica Potts, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plurality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near plurality
Cite this Entry
“Plurality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plurality. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plurality
noun
plu·ral·i·ty
plu̇-ˈral-ət-ē
plural pluralities
1
: the state of being plural or numerous
2
a
: the greater number or part
a plurality of the nations want peace
b
: the number of votes by which one candidate wins over another
c
: a number of votes cast for a candidate in a contest of more than two candidates that is greater than the number cast for any other candidate but is not more than half the total votes cast
Legal Definition
plurality
noun
plu·ral·i·ty
plu̇-ˈra-lə-tē
plural pluralities
: an amount or group (as of votes) that is greater than any other amount or group within a total but that is not more than half
especially
: a group of justices on an appeals court who do not form a majority but with whose opinion enough other justices concur to render it the decision of the court see also plurality opinion at opinion compare majority
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