plurality

American  

[ploo-ral-i-tee] / plʊˈræl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

pluralities

1. the excess of votes received by the leading candidate, in an election in which there are three or more candidates, over those received by the next candidate (majority ).

2. more than half of the whole; the majority.

3. a number greater than one.

4. fact of being numerous.

5. a large number; multitude.

6. state or fact of being plural.

7. Ecclesiastical.

   1. the holding by one person of two or more benefices at the same time; pluralism.

   2. any of the benefices so held.

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plurality British  

/ plʊəˈrælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state of being plural or numerous

2. maths a number greater than one

3. British equivalent: relative majority.  the excess of votes or seats won by the winner of an election over the runner-up when no candidate or party has more than 50 per cent

4. a large number

5. the greater number; majority

6. another word for pluralism

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Usage

What’s the difference between a plurality and a majority? Generally speaking, word plurality refers to an amount that’s the largest of all the amounts that make up a total (even if it’s less than half), while the word majority refers to an amount that’s larger than half of a total. In casual use, the two words are sometimes used interchangeably to mean more than half of a total. They are also sometimes used interchangeably in an election with only two candidates (though majority is much more commonly used in the context). That’s because, in an election with only two ways to vote, getting more votes necessarily means getting more than half of the votes. For example, in such an election, a candidate can be said to have won by a two-thirds majority or a two-thirds plurality (meaning they have received two-thirds of all the votes cast, with the losing candidate receiving one-third). The terms are used in differing ways in elections with three or more candidates. In such an election, the word plurality often refers to the highest number of votes received when no candidate has received more than 50% of the vote. In this context, to win a plurality of votes, you just have to get the largest percentage of all vote-getters, which may not be as high as 50%. For example, a candidate in a three-way race may win the plurality by getting 40% of votes, with the runner-up getting 35% of votes and the last-place finisher getting 25% of votes. To win a majority of votes, a candidate would have to get more than 50%. Sometimes, plurality refers to how many more votes the winner has than the runner-up, and majority refers to the number of votes by which a candidate has exceeded the amount that would be 50%. If three candidates were to receive 600, 300, and 100 votes, the winner would have a 100-vote majority (due to having 100 votes more than 500, which is half of the total of 1,000 votes cast) and a plurality of 300 votes over the nearest opponent. Some types of elections require a candidate to receive the majority of the votes to win the election, while others just require a plurality. Here’s an example of plurality and majority used correctly in the same sentence. Example: Although no candidate received the majority of the vote, Ms. Molineaux got the plurality with 40%. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between plurality and majority.

Related Words

See majority.

Other Word Forms

• nonplurality noun

Etymology

Origin of plurality

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English pluralite, from Old French, from Late Latin plūrālitās; plural, -ity

Explanation

In an election with three or more candidates, where no one gets more than half of the votes, you would win if you had the plurality. The word plurality first appeared in the 14th Century as "the state of being plural." The meaning applied to an election emerged in the United States around 1828, referring to a group of candidates where none has an absolute majority over the others. We can also use it to express a multitude of anything. For example, the United States is a nation with a plurality of races and religions. Here, plurality gives you the idea of a large, undefined number.

Example Sentences

"A youth movement will be more effective when internal divisions are minimal, there is ideological plurality without antagonism, and there are few established parties that can easily hijack the movement's results."

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

A plurality of the faithful are immigrants and the overwhelming majority are Latino.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

A plurality believe that agents should be making targeted arrests, not engaging in random street sweeps.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

That the city where nearly every language and religion on earth already exists in public would somehow collapse under the weight of its own plurality?

From Slate • Jan. 3, 2026

Whatever portable plurality she found, she organized into neat lines, according to their size, shape, or gradations of color.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison