noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈplɛbɪsaɪt/
Received-Pronunciation:/-sɪt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈplɛbəˌsaɪt/
CMU ARPABET:P L EH1 B AH0 S AY2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:P L IY1 B IH0 S AY2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A direct popular vote on an issue of public importance, such as an amendment to the constitution, a change in the sovereignty of the nation, or some government policy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: government, law, politics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: referendum
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An expression of the public's views on an issue, whether legally binding or not.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Synonym of plebiscitum (“a law enacted by the common people, under the superintendence of a tribune or some subordinate plebeian magistrate, without the intervention of the senate”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ancient-Rome, historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: plebiscitum
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a vote by the electorate determining public opinion on a question of national importance
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: vote
History
Etymology
Sense 1 (“referendum”) is borrowed from French plébiscite, from Latin plēbiscītum, plēbis scītum, plēbī scītum (“law of the common people or plebs”), from plēbis (the genitive singular of plēbs (“common people, plebeians”)) + scītum (“decree, ordinance, statute”). Sense 3 (“law enacted by the common people”) is a learned borrowing from Latin plēbiscītum: see above. It is attested earlier than English plebiscitum. Cognates * Italian plebiscito * Middle French plebiscite (modern French plébiscite) * Middle Low German plebiscīt (“ordinance”) * Spanish plebiscito, plebisçito (obsolete)
Across languages
Translations
48 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Asturian:
plebiscitu
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Chinese Mandarin:
公民投票
(gōngmín tóupiào)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Chinese Mandarin:
公投
(gōngtóu)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Czech:
plebiscit
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Danish:
folkeafstemning
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Dutch:
plebisciet
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Dutch:
referendum
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Faroese:
fólkaatkvøða
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Finnish:
kansanäänestys
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
French:
plébiscite
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Georgian:
პლებისციტი
(ṗlebisciṭi)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
German:
Plebiszit
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
German:
Volksabstimmung
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Greek:
δημοψήφισμα
(dimopsífisma)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Hebrew:
משאל עם
(mish'ál 'ám)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Hindi:
जनमतसंग्रह
(janmatsaṅgrah)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Hindi:
जनमत-संग्रह
(janmat-saṅgrah)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Hindi:
रायशुमारी
(rāyśumārī)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Hindi:
राय-शुमारी
(rāy-śumārī)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Icelandic:
þjóðaratkvæðagreiðsla
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Icelandic:
þjóðaratkvæði
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Indonesian:
plebisit
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Irish:
pobalbhreith
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Italian:
plebiscito
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Japanese:
国民投票
(kokumin-tōhyō)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Kapampangan:
plebisitu
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Korean:
국민투표
(gungmintupyo)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Central Kurdish:
پرسیاری مللی
(pirsyarî mllî)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Lao:
ປະຊາມະຕິ
(pa sā ma ti)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Macedonian:
пле́бисцит
(plébiscit)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Macedonian:
рефере́ндум
(referéndum)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Malay:
plebisit
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Persian:
نظرخواهی
(nazar-xâhi)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Polish:
plebiscyt
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Portuguese:
plebiscito
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Romanian:
plebiscit
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Russian:
плебисци́т
(plebiscít)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Russian:
рефере́ндум
(referéndum)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Northern Sami:
álbmotjienasteapmi
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Spanish:
plebiscito
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Swedish:
folkomröstning
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Tagalog:
plebisito
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Thai:
ประชามติ
(bprà-chaa-má-dtì)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Turkish:
reyiâm
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Urdu:
رائے شُماری
(rāe śumārī)
— direct popular vote on an issue of public importance — see also referendum
Finnish:
kansan mielipide
— expression of the public’s views on an issue, whether legally binding or not
Macedonian:
ја́вно ми́слење
(jávno míslenje)
— expression of the public’s views on an issue, whether legally binding or not
Polish:
plebiscyt
— expression of the public’s views on an issue, whether legally binding or not
