plethora
noun
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Plethora comes from a similar Greek word meaning "fullness." It was first used in English in the 16th century to describe a supposed medical condition marked by an excess volume of blood causing swelling and a reddish complexion. Later, the medical use of "plethora" was extended to indicate related medical conditions (such as an excess volume of bodily fluid or the red-skinned appearance of some newborns). These days, however, "plethora" is more often used in a general, non-medical sense, with the meaning "excess" or "abundance."
Synonyms
Examples of plethora in a Sentence
Arthur Miller, Harper's, March 1999
The plethora of short-lived ceasefires in the Balkans and the Caucasus constitute proof that we are no longer in a world where the old rules of state warfare apply.
—Robert D. Kaplan, Atlantic, February 1994
… served at the long plank table in the banquet hut, amid a plethora of toasts to progress, amity, and the overthrow of imperialism—the meal passed in a blur.
—John Updike, Trust Me, (1962) 1987
In their view, there are the very few hard-pressed good guys losing the landscape to a plethora of bad guys.
—Carol Bly, Letters from the Country, 1981
A plethora of books have been written on the subject.
a biology textbook that is helpfully illustrated with a plethora of excellent illustrations
Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 30 Sep. 2024
The Las Olas and the Hall of Fame Marinas both embrace a plethora of boats.
—Kathleen Turner, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
That’s because the 2018 Music Modernization Act set up rules to allow people to share the plethora of recordings made before 1972 that aren’t available, for streaming or sale, through official channels.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2024
Seoul was named one of Travel + Leisure's best places to visit in 2023, with a buzzing art scene and a plethora of exciting new hotels.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for plethora 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plethora.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Plethora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plethora. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
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plethora
noun
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