Dictionary.com

pluralism

[ ploor-uh-liz-uhm ]
/ ˈplʊər əˌlɪz əm /
See synonyms for pluralism on Thesaurus.com

noun

Philosophy.
  1. a theory that there is more than one basic substance or principle.Compare dualism (def. 2), monism (def. 1a).
  2. a theory that reality consists of two or more independent elements.
Ecclesiastical.
  1. the holding by one person of two or more offices at the same time.
  2. plurality (def. 7a).
Sociology. cultural pluralism.
state or quality of being plural.

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Origin of pluralism

First recorded in 1810–20; plural + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM pluralism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to pluralism

fusion, diversity, cultural diversity, multiracialism, multiculturalism, conflation

Example sentences from the Web for pluralism

British Dictionary definitions for pluralism

pluralism
/ (ˈplʊərəˌlɪzəm) /

noun

the holding by a single person of more than one ecclesiastical benefice or office
sociol a theory of society as several autonomous but interdependent groups which either share power or continuously compete for power
the existence in a society of groups having distinctive ethnic origin, cultural forms, religions, etc
a theory that views the power of employers as being balanced by the power of trade unions in industrial relations such that the interests of both sides can be catered for
philosophy
  1. the metaphysical doctrine that reality consists of more than two basic types of substanceCompare monism (def. 2), dualism (def. 2)
  2. the metaphysical doctrine that reality consists of independent entities rather than one unchanging wholeCompare monism (def. 2), absolutism (def. 2b)

Derived forms of pluralism

pluralist, noun, adjectivepluralistic, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for pluralism

pluralism

A conviction that various religious, ethnic, racial, and political groups should be allowed to thrive in a single society. In metaphysics, pluralism can also mean an alternative to dualism and monism. A pluralist asserts that there are more than two kinds of principles, whereas the dualist maintains there are only two and a monist only one.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.