Plural

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈplʊəɹl̩/

Definitions

1. Referring to more than one person, thing, or instance
2. Relating to the grammatical category that denotes multiple entities or a quantity greater than one
3. Indicating a count greater than a single unit or individual ; connected to the form used in grammar to show that there is more than one of something

Etymology: "Plural" arrived in English from Old French "plurel," which itself came from Latin "plūrālis," meaning "of or belonging to more than one" or "belonging to many." The Latin adjective is built from "plūs," "more," and the suffix "-ālis," which turns a noun or adjective into one that means "relating to" something. So the word's core idea is simply "more," and the grammatical sense it carries today is a later narrowing of that general notion. In English, the earliest form appeared as "plurelle" in Middle English, reflecting the French spelling before the modern form settled. The word's first job was broad: anything that involved more than one thing could be called plural. Only later did it become a term reserved for grammar, where it marks a noun, pronoun, or verb form that refers to several items rather than one.

Synonyms: multiple, numerous, various, several, manifold

Antonyms: singular, single, individual, unique, one