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.

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Other Word Forms

• nonpluralistic adjective
• pluralistically adverb
• unpluralistic adjective

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

When that model hardens, pluralistic societies become less governable and less livable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

But the judges ruled RE was not taught in "an objective, critical, and pluralistic manner," and that could amount to "indoctrination".

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

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

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2025

As with so-called Asian Americans, the Latino voting bloc is far more pluralistic than consultants and candidates often perceive it to be.

From Slate • Feb. 24, 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