the excess of votes received by the leading candidate, in an election in which there are three or more candidates, over those received by the next candidate (distinguished from majority).
more than half of the whole; the majority.
a number greater than one.
fact of being numerous.
a large number; multitude.
state or fact of being plural.
Ecclesiastical.
the holding by one person of two or more benefices at the same time; pluralism.
any of the benefices so held.
Origin of plurality
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English pluralite, from Old French, from Late Latin plūrālitās; see plural, -ity
synonym study for plurality
1. See majority.
OTHER WORDS FROM plurality
non·plu·ral·i·ty,noun,pluralnon·plu·ral·i·ties.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH plurality
majority, plurality (see synonym study at majority)
At the presidential level, the winner of the plurality of the vote gets the state’s 16 electoral votes.
Democrats Don’t Need To Win Georgia, Iowa, Ohio Or Texas — But They Could|Perry Bacon Jr. (perry.bacon@fivethirtyeight.com)|October 16, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
In a Fox News survey from late November, the plurality of people, 47 percent, thought that not all the votes in Florida had been counted.
A Contested 2020 Election Would Be Way Worse Than Bush v. Gore|Clare Malone (clare.malone@fivethirtyeight.com)|October 9, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Such reviews can take many months to complete and open up the possibility of the regulator blocking the deal, which it can do if believes the purchase would in any way undermine national security, financial stability or plurality in media ownership.
Why Nvidia’s purchase of Arm worries the U.K. tech sector|Jeremy Kahn|September 14, 2020|Fortune
It’s not uncommon for a candidate to win with a plurality of only 20 percent or 30 percent of the vote.
Morning Report: New Ethics Concerns for City Council Candidate|Voice of San Diego|September 3, 2020|Voice of San Diego
That means the next mayor could be someone who seizes a relatively small percentage of the vote, so long as it’s a plurality.
North County Report: Next Oceanside Mayor May Not Have Much Support|Kayla Jimenez|September 2, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Even on the eve of its passage, at least a plurality said they opposed the law.
After Four Years and Millions of Sign-Ups, Obamacare Is Still Unpopular|Kristen Soltis Anderson|April 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Southerners refused to suspend the House rules to elect the speaker with a plurality.
The South Has Indeed Risen Again and It’s Called the Tea Party|Jack Schwartz|December 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Never mind Hernandez's meager 34 percent plurality in the fiercely battled contest.
This is a far cry from 2006, where—at most—she had support from a plurality of Democrats.
There’s Absolutely No Chance Elizabeth Warren Beats Hillary Clinton|Jamelle Bouie|November 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The last time women cast a plurality for the Republican presidential nominee was in 1988.
Hillary Clinton Vs. the GOP Boys’ Club: Fighting for the Female Vote|Lloyd Green|October 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
With the plurality of persons the truth of the want vanishes, and personality becomes a mere luxury of the imagination.
The Essence of Christianity|Ludwig Feuerbach
He had been reelected to Congress by a plurality of over 1700 votes over his Whig opponent.
Children of the Market Place|Edgar Lee Masters
Plurality which is not reduced to unity is confusion; unity which does not depend on plurality is tyranny.
Pascal's Penses|Blaise Pascal
But all this has been left unnoticed by those who have argued in support of the Brewsterian doctrine of a plurality of worlds.
Myths and Marvels of Astronomy|Richard A. Proctor
They have Sildom more than one wife, yet plurality of wives are not denyed them by their Customs.
The Journals of Lewis and Clark|Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
British Dictionary definitions for plurality
plurality
/ (plʊəˈrælɪtɪ) /
nounplural-ties
the state of being plural or numerous
mathsa number greater than one
US and Canadianthe excess of votes or seats won by the winner of an election over the runner-up when no candidate or party has more than 50 per centBritish equivalent: relative majority
“Majority” vs. “Plurality”: What Their Differences Mean For This ElectionWhen it comes to elections, do you need a majority or plurality of the vote to win? It helps to remember what each term means first.