plupart

French

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French pluspart (“the greater/greatest part of something”). By surface analysis, plus +‎ part. Probably calqued from a Germanic phrase related to Old English māra dǣl (“majority”, literally “the greater part”), Dutch meerdeel, German Mehrteil.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ply.paʁ/
  • audio(file)

Noun

plupart f (uncountable)

  1. main part, majority
  2. most of
    Il a mangé la plupart du gâteau
    He ate most of the cake.
    La plupart des gens aiment le chocolat
    Most people like chocolate.
    La plupart d’entre eux se sont quand même partis.
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    Il existe une cinquantaine de radioéléments naturels dont la plupart font partie des trois familles naturelles du thorium, de l’uranium et de l’actinium.
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    Les châteaux valdôtains, auxquels est indissociablement liée l’histoire de la Vallée d’Aoste, autrefois principal moyen de défense, sont aujourd’hui une des plus importantes richesses de la plus petite région italienne. En dépit de ses dimensions, en la parcourant on peut trouver presque un château dans chaque village, dont la plupart ont été bien conservés, et constituent une des majeures attractions touristiques.
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Usage notes

While its near synonym majorité can accord with both singular and plural forms of verbs, adjectives, etc., when la plupart is linked to a verb, participle, adjective or pronoun, the form of the latter follows the grammatical gender and number of the noun to which the former is connected by the preposition de. When used without clear connection to some nominal unit, the masculine plural is used.

  • La plupart de ce travail est trop compliqué. ― (please add an English translation of this usage example) (masculine singular agreement with travail)
  • La plupart de mes amis sont américains. ― (please add an English translation of this usage example) (masculine plural agreement with amis)
  • La plupart de la population est folle. ― (please add an English translation of this usage example) (feminine singular agreement with population)
  • La plupart des étoiles sont plus grandes que le Soleil. ― (please add an English translation of this usage example) (feminine plural agreement with étoiles)

Derived terms

See also

Further reading
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