Pluralism
Etymology
From Latin pluralis, “of many,” from plus, “more.” Beyond its grammatical sense, the -ism was taken up in twentieth-century philosophy and political science to name both a fact — societies contain many groups — and a value: that this diversity should be protected and its groups allowed to bargain for influence. It appears in debates about religion, culture, and the dispersal of political power alike.
noun · /PLOOR-uh-liz-um/
A condition or ideal in which many distinct groups, beliefs, and interests coexist and share power within one society.
What it names
The working assumption that a healthy polity contains genuine disagreement — and that competing groups checking one another is a feature, not a failure.
Example
A robust pluralism, she argued, meant no single faction — however popular — could speak for everyone.
Related idea
Multiculturalism focuses specifically on cultural and ethnic diversity; pluralism is broader, covering the coexistence of any competing interests, including political and economic ones.