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Plural of Referendum
The Quick Answer
The plural of "referendum" is "referendums." "Referenda" (the Latin plural) has dropped out of use.The Plural of Referendum
The plural of "referendum" is "referendums." The Latin plural "referenda" is now considered defunct or pretentious.- Referendums give the public unmediated and direct control over a policy.
- Overusing referendums undermines parliamentary sovereignty.
Are You Good at Plurals?
Here's a quick test.The Standard Rules for Forming the Plurals
The table below shows the standard rules for forming the plurals of nouns in English.Type | Example of Type | Forming the Plural | Plural |
---|---|---|---|
Most Nouns | ![]() ![]() |
add s | ![]() ![]() |
Noun Ending s, sh, ch, x or z | ![]() ![]() |
add es | ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending [consonant] o | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
add either s or es (There are no rules for this - you have to know.) |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending [vowel] o | ![]() ![]() |
add s | ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending [consonant] y | ![]() ![]() |
change the y to an i and add es | ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending [vowel] y | ![]() ![]() |
add s | ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending f or fe | ![]() ![]() |
ves and/or s (There are no rules - you have to know.) |
![]() ![]() |
Exceptions | ![]() ![]() |
some nouns undergo a vowel or letters change | ![]() ![]() |
More exceptions | ![]() ![]() |
some nouns do not change at all | ![]() ![]() |
Foreign rulings | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
some nouns adopt foreign rulings | ![]() ![]() ![]() (now defunct) |
Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Referendum?
Confusion arises over the plural of "referendum" because writers are unsure whether to opt for "referenda," which derives from the Latin root of "referendum," or "referendums," which adheres to the standard ruling for forming plurals.In the past, both "referendums" and "referenda" were acceptable, but "referenda" has fallen out of use to the extent that many now consider it wrong or pretentious.
This graph from Google's Ngram viewer shows the recent decline of "referenda." Note that the Ngram viewer scans the texts of published authors and academics. This is an important point because it tells us that those who consider such matters are now dropping "referenda."
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