plebiscite
noun
a direct vote of the qualified voters of a state in regard to some important public question.
plebiscites
-
pluralof plebiscite.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Formerly German territories awarded to Poland and Denmark had Danish- and Polish-speaking majorities who voted decisively in League of Nations plebiscites that they did not wish to remain with Germany.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2023
After plebiscites in 1983, one island chain became the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, thereby remaining part of the United States, adjacent to Guam, long a U.S. territory.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 12, 2022
Over the past 230 years, 93 percent of the 179 national plebiscites on new constitutions have been accepted, according to an analysis by Zachary Elkins and Alex Hudson, two political scientists.
From New York Times ● Sep. 3, 2022
The proposals also include mechanisms for citizen participation such as referendums and plebiscites, as well as the creation of a constitutional court and a new national electoral institute.
From Reuters ● Sep. 16, 2021
“Write that down, Adah. If we don’t boil our water for thirty full minutes we’ll get plebiscites and what not.”
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
