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plurality

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

9 characters

Language

English

word origin

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "plurality", 9-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "plurality" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "plurality" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

plurality is aEnglishnoun. It means: The state of being plural. Pronounced /plʊˈɹæləti/. Often confused with pluralism.

Key facts for plurality
PropertyValue
Headwordplurality
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/plʊˈɹæləti/
Letters9
Frequency rank#16,774
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of plurality in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for plurality is 9 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /plʊˈɹæləti/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,774 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it.Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 14 documented wrong-spelling variants for plurality, with forms such as "lpurality", "pllurality", and "plruality". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "pluralism", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From plural + -ity, from Middle English pluralite, from Old French pluralité (“multitude, state of being plural”), from Latin plūrālitās. Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is plurality, spelled P-L-U-R-A-L-I-T-Y, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being plural.
  2. 2
    The holding of multiple benefices.
  3. 3
    A state of being numerous.
  4. 4
    A number or part of a whole which is greater than any other number or part, but not necessarily a majority.
  5. 5
    A number of votes for a single candidate or position which is greater than the number of votes gained by any other single candidate or position voted for, but which is less than a majority of valid votes cast.
  6. 6
    A margin by which a number exceeds another number, especially of votes.
  7. 7
    A group of many entities: a large number.
  8. 8
    A group composed of more than one entity.
  9. 9
    Polygamy.
  10. 10
    Synonym of multiplicity (“the condition whereby a person displays or experiences multiple distinct personalities or selves in one body”).

Etymology

From plural + -ity, from Middle English pluralite, from Old French pluralité (“multitude, state of being plural”), from Latin plūrālitās.

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lpurality,pllurality,plruality,pluarlity,plurailty,pluralitty,pluralityy,pluraliyt,plurallity,pluraltiy,plurlaity,plurrality,pplurality,pulrality

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for plurality

Misspelling Variants of "plurality"

lpurality9pllurality10plruality9pluarlity9plurailty9pluralitty10pluralityy10pluraliyt9
Misspelling Variants of "plurality"

Frequency rank: #16,774 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "plurality"?
"plurality" is spelled P-L-U-R-A-L-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /plʊˈɹæləti/.
What does "plurality" mean?
As a noun, "plurality" means: The state of being plural.
What words are commonly confused with "plurality"?
"plurality" is commonly confused with "pluralism". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "plurality"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "plurality" is /plʊˈɹæləti/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "plurality"?
From plural + -ity, from Middle English pluralite, from Old French pluralité (“multitude, state of being plural”), from Latin plūrālitās. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter P in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.