plurality

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The state or fact of being plural.
2. n. A large number or amount; a multitude.
3. n. Ecclesiastical Pluralism.
4. n. Ecclesiastical The offices or benefices held by a pluralist.
5. n. In a contest of more than two choices, the number of votes cast for the winning choice if this number is not more than one half of the total votes cast.
6. n. The number by which the vote of the winning choice in such a contest exceeds that of the closest opponent.
7. n. The larger or greater part.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The character of being plural; the fact of expressing or of consisting of more than one; also, a number greater than unity: as, a plurality of gods; a plurality of worlds.
2. n. The greater number; the majority.
3. n. In United States politics, the number by which the votes cast for the candidate who receives the greatest number exceed the votes cast for the candidate who receives the next greatest number, when there are more than two candidates and no one candidate receives a majority of the votes. If A receives 5,000 votes, B 4,000, and C 3,000, no one has a majority, but A has a plurality of 1,000 over B. In most of the States a plurality elects a candidate; in others, as Connecticut and Rhode Island, if no candidate (as for governor) receives a popular majority, the election goes to the legislature. Compare majority.
4. n. Eccles.: The holding of two or more benefices by the same person at the same time; pluralism.
5. n. One of two or more livings held by the same incumbent. See living, 4 .

Wiktionary

1. n. uncountable The state of being plural.
2. n. ecclesiastical The holding of multiple benefices.
3. n. countable A state of being numerous.
4. n. countable 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.
5. n. countable A margin by which a number exceeds another number, especially of votes.
6. n. countable A group of many entities: a large number.
7. n. countable A group composed of more than one entity.
8. n. of spouses polygamy.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The state of being plural, or consisting of more than one; a number consisting of two or more of the same kind
2. n. The greater number; a majority; also, the greatest of several numbers; in elections, the excess of the votes given for one candidate over those given for another, or for any other, candidate. When there are more than two candidates, the one who receives the plurality of votes may have less than a majority. See Majority.
3. n. (Eccl.) See Plurality of benefices, below.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. (in an election with more than 2 options) the number of votes for the candidate or party receiving the greatest number (but less that half of the votes)
2. n. the state of being plural
3. n. a large indefinite number