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
The board of trustees of top private universities includes a plurality of finance and consulting folks but tend to lack scholars or community-minded individuals.
—
Luis A. Nunes Amaral, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2025
Despite the Stanley Cup drought, there's still little debate that hockey is Canada's sport, at least in plurality.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 4 June 2025
That’s a far cry from a generation ago, when Democrat Bill Clinton won pluralities in Johnson County on his way to capturing Kentucky’s electoral votes in the 1992 and 1996 White House races.
—Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
Whereas the majority of students were white in 1960, Latinos now make up a majority of college-age individuals in California and a plurality of college students.
—Edsource, Oc Register, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for plurality
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Luis A. Nunes Amaral, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2025
Despite the Stanley Cup drought, there's still little debate that hockey is Canada's sport, at least in plurality.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 4 June 2025
That’s a far cry from a generation ago, when Democrat Bill Clinton won pluralities in Johnson County on his way to capturing Kentucky’s electoral votes in the 1992 and 1996 White House races.
—Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
Whereas the majority of students were white in 1960, Latinos now make up a majority of college-age individuals in California and a plurality of college students.
—Edsource, Oc Register, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for plurality
Cite this Entry
“Plurality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plurality. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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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