Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PLURALITY

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pronounce PLURALITY: Say it "plur AL uh dee." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: Just one? That's a singularity. More than that? That's a plurality. Many times more than that? That's a _______icity.  (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) definition: The word "plural" traces back to the Latin plus, meaning "more." Plural things are more than one, or they contain more than one thing. We've used the word "plural" as the opposite of "singular" for hundreds of years, whether we're talking about grammar or just general stuff. If we talk about a plurality of things, often we're talking about the fact that there's more than one of them. A plurality can also be a large number of things or, in a vote, the most number of votes, which determines the winner, even if it's less than half of the total votes. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Noun, both the countable kind ("a plurality of votes") and the uncountable kind ("the plurality of worlds in this story"). Other forms:  Plural, pluralities. "Pluralism" is an alternate noun, most often used in specific fields: politics, sociology, philosophy, and religion. how to use it: Pick the common, formal word "plurality" when you need to emphasize the fact that there's at least two of something, not just one--especially if people are acting as if there's just one. You might talk about the plurality of religions in our nation, the plurality of voices in a controversial conversation, the plurality of identities held by a single person, etc. "Plurality" comes in handy when the word "diversity" is a little too loaded. Sometimes you just want to talk about the fact that there are multiple kinds or groups--you don't necessarily want to celebrate it. "Plurality" also comes in handy when we need to talk about groups of things or people that outnumber others, even though they're not a full majority (that is, not fully half or more). "He earned a plurality of the vote." "White people make up a plurality of the US population." examples: "[In the movie Election], even though her name is officially struck from the ballot, Tammy still beats both Tracy and Paul with a solid plurality of the votes, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it joke that is both brutally cynical and bluntly realistic."    — A. O. Scott, New York Times, 1 August 2019 "I can't speak for all poets. As Robert Creeley put it, 'Thankfully, a plurality of poetries exists.' Some poets write poems that will never go beyond those circles because those poems are not designed to do anything else. But for those of us who are poets and participants, poets and activists, poets and citizens, it is incumbent upon us to get out there. We must face that challenge of transcending barriers."     — Martín Espada, as quoted by David Masciotra, Slate, 31 March 2021 has this page helped you understand "plurality"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "plurality" without saying "a multiplicity" or "a state of being more than one." try it out: Talk about something that delights a plurality of the senses. It might be a food, a drink, a movie, a concert, a theme park ride, or even a person. Here's my example. Even on a warm day, I love a hot mug of caramel tea. It's more than just yummy; it delights a plurality of the senses: it tastes sweet, smells sweet, and even feels and looks cozy.  If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out. Our game this month is Subject Line Matching! Try matching each capitalized term below with the email subject line that introduced it. You can check your answers by scrolling all the way down. For an extra challenge, try recalling what each term means and how the subject line connects to it. Have fun! GRATUITOUS: _____ MORIBUND: _____ OZYMANDIAN: _____  RUDDERLESS: _____  RUMINATE: _____ I am not dead yet; I can do the Highland Fling me taking 9 minutes to make a Scrabble play Nobody asked for this Whatshisname. He was the greatest of all. Whose boat is this boat? review this word: 1. A near opposite of PLURALITY is A. UNION. B. UNIVERSE. C. UNIFORMITY. 2. In an article, Wikipedia explains that in "first-past-the-post" voting, "the candidate who receives the most votes wins." It's a plurality voting method. Ironically, Wikipedia also warns that the article itself _____ A. "contains embedded lists that may be poorly defined, unverified or indiscriminate." B. deals with "primarily the English-speaking world" and fails to "represent a worldwide view of the subject." C. "may have been copied and pasted from another location, possibly in violation of Wikipedia's copyright policy." Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B Answers to the game questions: GRATUITOUS: Nobody asked for this MORIBUND: I am not dead yet; I can do the Highland Fling OZYMANDIAN: Whatshisname. He was the greatest of all. RUDDERLESS: Whose boat is this boat? RUMINATE: me taking 9 minutes to make a Scrabble play a final word: I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.