plusieurs

Plusieurs is a French determiner and pronoun meaning several or a number of. It indicates more than one item or person but not all, with the exact quantity left unspecified and inferred from context. It is used with plural nouns and is invariable for gender and number, so it appears the same before masculine and feminine nouns: plusieurs étudiants, plusieurs étudiantes. As a pronoun, it can stand for a following plural noun: Plusieurs ont été blessés.

Usage and grammar

Plusieurs precedes a plural noun and does not change form for gender. It is typically used when the speaker wants to convey a non-specific, moderate-to-large quantity without giving a precise count. It contrasts with quelques (a few) and with beaucoup (many), and its sense depends on context. It can also function as a pronoun in sentences such as “Plusieurs sont venus.”

Examples

Plusieurs étudiants ont assisté à la conférence.

Plusieurs livres traitent du sujet.

Plusieurs raisons expliquent ce choix.

Plusieurs fois j’y suis allé.

Etymology and references

Plusieurs derives from Latin plures, meaning more or many, and entered Old French before becoming the modern form. In contemporary French, it remains a neutral, formal-to-neutral expression for a non-specific plural quantity.

See also

Synonyms and near-synonyms include quelques (a few) in contexts implying smaller quantities, and beaucoup (many) for larger quantities. The word is commonly used in both formal and everyday writing and speech.