plethora

noun

pleth·​o·​ra ˈple-thə-rə 

1

: an ample amount or number : abundance, profusion

… Grand Cayman offers a plethora of bustling restaurants, ritzy resorts and comfortable condos …

—Susanne Cummings

… a world whose credibility is threatened by the meaningless plethora of material goods it goes on producing.

—W. Roy Niblett

2

: a bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood and marked by turgescence and a florid complexion

plethoric

plə-ˈthȯr-ik 

ple-

-ˈthär-;

ˈple-thə-rik

adjective

Did you know?

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

• abundance
• cornucopia
• feast
• plenitude
• plentitude
• plenty
• superabundance
• wealth

Examples of plethora in a Sentence

There has been a plethora of plays in recent years whose claim to modernity is based on indicated rather than felt emotion. —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

Recent Examples on the Web

The plethora of films and documentaries across numerous categories offer a seemingly limitless array of entertainment choices available to stream any time and any place. —Barnet Sherman, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

That's not to mention our plethora of Tex-Mex restaurants — and our beloved neighborhood taco spot now receiving Michelin attention. —Jessica Boehm, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024

But despite the plethora of evidence, finding the suspect is an arduous task, McCabe said. —Holly Yan, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024

The area is home to a plethora of wildlife, and guests will explore this awe-inspiring landscape by vehicle, on foot, by mokoro (a traditional dugout canoe), and from the air in a doors-off helicopter. —Deborah Calmeyer, Travel + Leisure, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin plēthōra, plētūra "fullness, overabundance of a humor," borrowed from Greek plēthṓra (Ionic plēthṓrē) "fullness, crowdedness (of a marketplace at peak hour), excess of a humor or blood," from plēth-, base of plḗthein "to be full" + -ōra, -ōrē, probably dissimilated variant of -ōlē, suffix of deverbal nouns; plḗthein going back to Indo-European *pléh₁-d^h-, extended form of the verbal base *pleh₁- "become full," with *-d^h- marking a completed state — more at full entry 1

Note: The base *pléh₁-d^h- is also evident in Greek plēthȳ́s "great number, multitude, crowd" (compare plebs), plêthos "great number, mass, crowd," plēthȳ́nesthai "to increase in number" (see plethysmograph).

First Known Use

circa 1541, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Medical Definition

plethora

noun

pleth·​o·​ra ˈpleth-ə-rə 

: a bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood and marked by turgescence and a reddish complexion

plethoric

plə-ˈthȯr-ik  ple- 

-ˈthär-; ˈpleth-ə-rik

adjective