MEANING
An abundance or oversupply, often more than is useful or needed.
Use it for
describing more information than can be readily handled; questioning whether many examples add useful evidence; showing a crowded range of options; distinguishing abundance from relevance or qualityDescribes an abundance that may exceed what is useful or manageable, while recognizing neutral modern abundance uses. Writing functions: Significance / Scope, Evaluation, Qualification / Uncertainty.
Words that belong together
- a plethora of studies
- a plethora of options
- a plethora of competing explanations
On the page
A plethora of studies does not guarantee that their methods are independent.
The review maps a plethora of explanations before identifying the two that make distinct predictions.
Word forms
- Base
- plethora
Usage notes
Usually singular: a plethora of something. Uncountable use also occurs. No routine plural is needed for the ordinary abundance sense. Register: formal. Commonness: moderately common (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.