# Grammar/word use question **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446 "2014-03-24T15:48:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/1 "2014-03-24T15:48:12Z")
If I wanted to say “the plurality of my time was spent on X”, would you: a) know what I was talking about b) think that I was using it properly more or less c) bat an eye if it was used in something formal like a personal statement? ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/2 "2014-03-24T16:12:03Z")
Maybe this should go in GQ instead? ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/3 "2014-03-24T17:43:34Z")
I would bat an eye no matter what the context. While my online dictionary does give “a large number of people or things” as one definition, I have never heard this word used in any sense other than one that pertains to votes — where it has a very specific definition. It’s very useful in that context, and I see nothing gained by trying to apply it to time, when other words would work just as well and not cause the reader/listener to stumble as I did. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/4 "2014-03-24T17:46:26Z")
I would wonder why you didn’t say majority and then I’d move on. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/5 "2014-03-24T18:20:54Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I would wonder why you didn’t say majority and then I’d move on. They don’t mean the same thing. I’d interpret “the plurality of my time was spent on X” as meaning that more time was spent on X than on any other particular thing, while “the majority of my time was spent on X” means that X took up more than half of one’s time. Still, I don’t think I’ve ever heard “plurality” used in reference to a continuous variable like time. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/6 "2014-03-24T18:26:48Z")
a) yes b) somewhat creatively but since I understood it, I think it’s ok. The problem I would have is whether I trusted that you understood it, or had made the same mistake that **Inner Stickler** did. For that reason, it’s probably better to be less creative and more direct and specific. c) I’m not clear what “personal statement” means in this context. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/7 "2014-03-24T18:59:16Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’d interpret “the plurality of my time was spent on X” as meaning that more time was spent on X than on any other particular thing, while “the majority of my time was spent on X” means that X took up more than half of one’s time. Majority doesn’t necessarily mean more than half. It can just mean the largest chunk. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/8 "2014-03-24T19:53:36Z")
D. trying to sound smart ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/9 "2014-03-24T20:18:25Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’d interpret “the plurality of my time was spent on X” as meaning that more time was spent on X than on any other particular thing, while “the majority of my time was spent on X” means that X took up more than half of one’s time. This is exactly what I wanted to convey. > [@](#): > > Still, I don’t think I’ve ever heard “plurality” used in reference to a continuous variable like time. This is exactly what I wanted to check on. > [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > c) I’m not clear what “personal statement” means in this context. Personal statement for my grad school application. > [@magellan01](#): > > D. trying to sound smart Desperately so? I chose it primarily because it was accurate but I can see someone rolling their eyes at it. ---
**Author:** ![jayrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jayrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayrey)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/10 "2014-03-24T21:07:12Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Desperately so? I chose it primarily because it was accurate but I can see someone rolling their eyes at it. I’m sorry to say, but, yes, it strikes me as a over-the-top attempt to sound smart. I’d go with majority, like \*\*Inner Stickler \*\*says. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/11 "2014-03-24T21:19:21Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Majority doesn’t necessarily mean more than half. It can just mean the largest chunk. Are you perhaps British? I found the following on Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > A majority is a subset of a set consisting of more than half of the set’s elements. This can be compared to a plurality, which is a subset larger than any other subset considered; i.e. a plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset considered may consist of less than half the set’s elements. In British English, majority and plurality are often used as synonyms, and the term majority is also alternatively used to refer to the winning margin, i.e. the number of votes separating the first-place finisher from the second-place finisher. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/12 "2014-03-25T00:03:01Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > . . . Still, I don’t think I’ve ever heard “plurality” used in reference to a continuous variable like time. Also, it is highly dependent on how you define the categories. In elections, you have the various parties, and they’re pretty clearly delineated. In time, is “sleep” a category? The “plurality” of just about everyone’s life is spent asleep. Do you break up “work time” into subcategories? Paperwork, conferences, maintenance, and, oh, yeah, actual productive labor? Or is it just one heap: “Work.” These things will make a huge difference. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/13 "2014-03-25T00:42:08Z")
I’d say, “I spent the most/greatest amount of time on X.” That way you get rid of that annoying[passive voice](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=719006) at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Melchior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Melchior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melchior)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/14 "2014-03-25T01:07:06Z")
It’s wrong. ‘Time’ is one thing, and ‘plurality’ refers to several things, specifically votes. If there are three candidates and 3000 votes cast, and one get 999, one gets 1000, and one gets 1001, the last one is said to get the ‘plurality’ of the votes, but not the majority (which would be 1501 votes). See: [http://triggs.djvu.org/century-dictionary.com/djvu2jpgframes.php?volno=06&page=134&query=plurality](http://triggs.djvu.org/century-dictionary.com/djvu2jpgframes.php?volno=06&page=134&query=plurality) ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/15 "2014-03-25T04:45:59Z")
My objection to the phrase hasn’t been mentioned yet. Like _many_, plurality refers to _things which can be counted_. You wouldn’t say ‘many of my time;’ you’d say ‘much of my time.’ That’s the reason that ‘plurality of my time’ is wrong. Moreover, the sense that a plurality of votes is greater than that of other candidate is a secondary meaning of the word. The primary meaning of _plurality_ is “the fact or state of being plural.” _Plurality_ is an extremely common word in lawyer-written patent applications. “A plurality of” means “Two or more.” Perhaps they charge by the syllable. ---
**Author:** ![LynnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@LynnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LynnM)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/16 "2014-03-25T11:34:16Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > If I wanted to say “the plurality of my time was spent on X”, …sounds like something from the 1940s Bowery Boys. Dumb, but OK if you got some exteneaten’ coicumstances. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/17 "2014-03-25T14:14:00Z")
I would say “bulk of my time”. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/18 "2014-03-25T18:46:28Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > My objection to the phrase hasn’t been mentioned yet. Like _many_, plurality refers to _things which can be counted_. You wouldn’t say ‘many of my time;’ you’d say ‘much of my time.’ That’s the reason that ‘plurality of my time’ is wrong. +1. It’s like the difference between “fewer” and “less”. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/19 "2014-03-25T23:20:26Z")
“A majority of people prefer cheesecake” means to me that over 50% of people like cheesecake. “A plurality of people prefer cheesecake” means that some percentage of people prefer cheesecake, and that group of people is larger than any other group of people when grouped by favorite dessert. Have I been wrong about this for a long time? To the OP, I would say it depends on context. If you had clearly given us categories of your uses of time “sleeping, running, awake but not running” and said that “the plurality of my time is spent sleeping, and the minority of my time is spent awake but not running” I wouldn’t think it was an odd use at all. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-word-use-question/684446/20 "2014-03-25T23:49:33Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > My objection to the phrase hasn’t been mentioned yet. Like _many_, plurality refers to _things which can be counted_. You wouldn’t say ‘many of my time;’ you’d say ‘much of my time.’ That’s the reason that ‘plurality of my time’ is wrong. I look at the post above yours, made 3.5 hours before yours, and I feel 😕