| Library / English Dictionary |
PLURALITY
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
(in an election with more than 2 options) the number of votes for the candidate or party receiving the greatest number (but less that half of the votes)
Synonyms:
plurality; relative majority
Classified under:
Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure
Hypernyms ("plurality" is a kind of...):
relative quantity (a quantity relative to some purpose)
Domain category:
election (a vote to select the winner of a position or political office)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A large indefinite number
Example:
a plurality of religions
Synonyms:
battalion; large number; multitude; pack; plurality
Classified under:
Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure
Hypernyms ("plurality" is a kind of...):
large indefinite amount; large indefinite quantity (an indefinite quantity that is above the average in size or magnitude)
Sense 3
Meaning:
The state of being plural
Example:
to mark plurality, one language may add an extra syllable to the word whereas another may simply change the vowel in the existing final syllable
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("plurality" is a kind of...):
state (the way something is with respect to its main attributes)
Derivation:
plural (grammatical number category referring to two or more items or units)
