pluralistic

American  

[ploor-uh-lis-tik] / ˌplʊər əˈlɪs tɪk /

adjective

1. Philosophy. of or relating to pluralism, the theory that there is more than one basic substance or principle.

   A pluralistic account of the nature of truth needs to look at truth in a specific domain, as opposed to what constitutes truth per se.

2. Sociology. of or relating to cultural pluralism, the doctrine that society benefits from minority groups participating fully in the dominant society while maintaining their cultural differences.

   The building of pluralistic and democratic societies relies on creating spaces within which respectful and purposeful intercultural and interreligious dialogues can take place.

3. allowing for different ideas, methods, etc., or made up of differing elements.

   The school encourages pluralistic approaches to learning, allowing individuals to follow their own personal strengths and learning styles.

---

Other Word Forms

• nonpluralistic
  adjective
• unpluralistic
  adjective
• pluralistically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of pluralistic

pluralist + -ic

Explanation

Anything pluralistic involves a diversity of different ideas or people. A pluralistic society is a diverse one, where the people in it believe all kinds of different things and tolerate each other’s beliefs even when they don’t match their own. You know how the plural form of a word means there's more than one of something? Similarly, pluralistic ideas are about embracing more than one group of people, ideas, or religions. A pluralistic approach to politics embraces many different philosophies, such as capitalism and socialism. A pluralistic society accepts many different sorts of people, from different races, sexual orientations, cultures, and religions. Pluralistic ideas are part of a philosophy known as pluralism.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pluralistic

The northern region, which Woodard calls "Yankeeland", is rooted in the early Puritan settlers who fled religious persecution in Europe, with later additions of Germans and Scandinavian settlers helping to solidify a pluralistic outlook.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

These were people who believed “in a pluralistic, meritocratic, overwhelmingly positive” vision of America.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

He held up a mirror and showed how toxic their positions are for a pluralistic society.

From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2025

The internet, as currently constructed, is not an adequate substitute for robust and pluralistic news media.

From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2025

This type of phenomenon has been described in the psychological literature as pluralistic ignorance, in which people misjudge the norm.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander