plethora

[ pleth-er-uh ]

noun

1. overabundance; excess:

   His crisis brought him a plethora of advice and an almost complete lack of assistance.

2. a large quantity or wide array; a lot:

   The co-op program offers a plethora of advantages for students.

   Visitors are drawn to the main beach, where a plethora of watersports can be enjoyed.

3. Pathology Archaic. a morbid condition due to excess of red corpuscles in the blood or increase in the quantity of blood.

plethora

/ ˈplɛθərə; plɛˈθɒrɪk /

noun

1. superfluity or excess; overabundance
2. obsolete.
   pathol a condition caused by dilation of superficial blood vessels, characterized esp by a reddish face

Derived Forms

• pleˈthorically, adverb
• plethoric, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of plethora¹

First recorded in 1535–45; from New Latin, from Greek plēthṓra “fullness,” from plḗthein “to fill, be full”; complete ( def ), full ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of plethora¹

C16: via Medieval Latin from Greek plēthōrē fullness, from plēthein to grow full

Example Sentences

If the force of Wise’s version was constrained by the technology, it provided the blueprint for a plethora of face-melting heavy metal covers.

From New York Times

The 28-time Grammy winner was a titan of American music and culture, hopping through genres R&B, pop, jazz and rap in his plethora of work.

From Salon

Despite a plethora of forecasts that assumed the loss of reproductive rights would not sway the election, Dobbs played a major role in turning that red wave into a pink tsunami.

From Los Angeles Times

Slate says she was aware of the plethora of pregnancy complications but didn’t think they would happen to her.

From Los Angeles Times

Nick Payne, the screenwriter of “We Live in Time,” says Garfield offered a plethora of suggestions to the script that the writer willingly incorporated.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• deluge
• excess
• glut
• overabundance
• plenty
• profusion
• surfeit