# Usage of "plurality" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 8, 2002, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usage-of-plurality/141272 "2002-12-08T06:34:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usage-of-plurality/141272/1 "2002-12-08T06:34:02Z")
I’m writing a few sentences containing this infomation: There are 39 senators of party X. There are 80 total senators. There are three different parties and party X is the largest. Now, party X doesn’t have a majority of the vote, but do they have a plurality of the vote? Are they the majority party? Is their party a plurality? Is it interchangable in this instance? I don’t want to misuse these words. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usage-of-plurality/141272/2 "2002-12-08T06:46:26Z")
I believe the term 'plurality" is usually used in regards to elections with three or more candidates. The candidate with the most votes has a _plurality_ but not necessarily a _majority_. I think it would be a perfectly acceptable usage, though, to apply it as you have indicated, meaning more than the others, but less than half. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usage-of-plurality/141272/3 "2002-12-08T08:49:37Z")
Thanks Diogenes.