Plurality vs. Unity — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Plurality and Unity
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Plurality
The state or fact of being plural.
Unity
The state or quality of being one or united into a whole
"The Founding Fathers had abhorred the concept of parties, fearing that they would undermine the unity of the nation through factionalism" (Julian E. Zelizer).
Plurality
A large number or amount; a multitude.
Unity
The state or quality of being in accord; harmony
The judges ruled in unity on the matter.
Plurality
Pluralism.
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Unity
The state or quality of being unified in an aesthetic whole, as in a work of literature
The novel's thematic unity.
Plurality
The offices or benefices held by a pluralist.
Unity
A whole that is a combination of parts
A group of ideas that taken together constitute a unity.
Plurality
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.
Unity
Singleness or constancy of purpose or action; continuity
"In an army you need unity of purpose" (Emmeline Pankhurst).
Plurality
The number by which the vote of the winning choice in such a contest exceeds that of the closest opponent.
Unity
One of the three principles of dramatic structure derived by French neoclassicists from Aristotle's Poetics, stating that a drama should have but one plot, which should take place in a single day and be confined to a single locale.
Plurality
The larger or greater part.
Unity
The number 1.
Plurality
(uncountable) The state of being plural.
Unity
See identity element.
Plurality
(ecclesiastical) The holding of multiple benefices.
Unity
(uncountable) Oneness; the state or fact of being one undivided entity.
Plurality
(countable) A state of being numerous.
Unity
Agreement; harmony.
Plurality
(countable) A number or part of a whole which is greater than any other number or part, but not necessarily a majority.
Unity
A single undivided thing, seen as complete in itself.
Plurality
(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.
Unity
(drama) Any of the three classical rules of drama: unity of action (nothing should be admitted not directly relevant to the development of the plot), unity of place (the scenes should be set in the same place), and unity of time (all the events should be such as might happen within a single day).
Plurality
(countable) A margin by which a number exceeds another number, especially of votes.
Unity
(mathematics) The number 1 or any element of a set or field that behaves under a given operation as the number 1 behaves under multiplication.
The cube roots of unity
Plurality
(countable) A group of many entities: a large number.
A plurality of ideas were put forth at the meeting, most of which were rejected out of hand.
Unity
(legal) The peculiar characteristics of an estate held by several in joint tenancy.
Plurality
(countable) A group composed of more than one entity.
Unity
(Quakerism) The form of consensus in a Quaker meeting for business which signals that a decision has been reached. In order to achieve unity, everyone who does not agree with the decision must explicitly stand aside, possibly being recorded in the minutes as doing so.
Plurality
(of spouses) Polygamy.
Unity
The state of being one; oneness.
Whatever we can consider as one thing suggests to the understanding the idea of unity.
Plurality
(psychology) The condition of a single body/person displaying multiple distinct personas.
Unity
Concord; harmony; conjunction; agreement; uniformity; as, a unity of proofs; unity of doctrine.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Plurality
The state of being plural, or consisting of more than one; a number consisting of two or more of the same kind; as, a plurality of worlds; the plurality of a verb.
Unity
Any definite quantity, or aggregate of quantities or magnitudes taken as one, or for which 1 is made to stand in calculation; thus, in a table of natural sines, the radius of the circle is regarded as unity.
Plurality
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.
Take the plurality of the world, and they are neither wise nor good.
Unity
In dramatic composition, one of the principles by which a uniform tenor of story and propriety of representation are preserved; conformity in a composition to these; in oratory, discourse, etc., the due subordination and reference of every part to the development of the leading idea or the eastablishment of the main proposition.
Plurality
See Plurality of benefices, below.
Unity
Such a combination of parts as to constitute a whole, or a kind of symmetry of style and character.
Plurality
The state of being plural;
To mark plurality, one language may add an extra syllable to the word whereas another may simply change the vowel in the existing final syllable
Unity
The peculiar characteristics of an estate held by several in joint tenancy.
Plurality
A large indefinite number;
A battalion of ants
A multitude of TV antennas
A plurality of religions
Unity
An unreduced or unbroken completeness or totality
Plurality
(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)
Unity
The smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number;
He has the one but will need a two and three to go with it
They had lunch at one
Unity
The quality of being united into one
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