plupart

Plupart is a French noun referring to the larger portion of a group. In contemporary usage, the standard form is la plupart, a fixed expression meaning the majority or most of something. The term denotes a substantial part without implying completeness.

Usage and grammar

La plupart is used with a determiner and a following noun or noun phrase, typically expressing quantity or distribution. Common constructions include la plupart des X and la plupart du X. The phrase can refer to people, objects, or events, and it often translates to “most of” or “the majority of” in English. It is also used in the adverbial sense la plupart du temps, meaning “most of the time.”

Examples

La plupart des étudiants ont réussi. (Most of the students succeeded.)

La plupart des gens sont d’accord. (Most of the people agree.)

La plupart du temps, il pleut ici. (Most of the time, it rains here.)

Semantics and nuance

La plupart indicates a large majority but not all members of the referenced group. It is less precise than expressions like la totalité or l’écrasante majorité and can carry a softer or more general sense of prevalence.

Relation to related terms

Synonyms include la majorité and la majeure partie, which can be used in similar contexts with slight nuance in focus or emphasis. The fixed expression la plupart du temps is a common way to describe habitual or recurring situations.

Etymology

La plupart comes from the noun part meaning part, with the definite article la, forming a standard French construction to denote the larger part of a whole. The phrase is widely used across French-speaking regions and registers, from everyday speech to formal writing.

See also

Majority, Most (in English), Partage and other expressions for portions or fractions in French.