BharatNotes Plebiscite
nounUsage in a UPSC answer
Faced with competing claims to a disputed territory, the international community has often urged a plebiscite, holding that the durable legitimacy of any settlement rests ultimately on the freely expressed will of the people who inhabit it.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
plebiscitary (adj), plebiscitarian (adj/n), plebiscitarily (adv)
Root
Latin plēbs = the common people; scītum = decree (from scīscere = to vote for); via French plébiscite
Etymology
From French plébiscite, from Latin plēbiscītum, combining plēbs ("the common people") and scītum ("decree," from scīscere, "to vote for"); first used in English in the mid-16th century referring to Roman law.
Memory Hook
Think "PLEB-i-scite" — the PLEBs (common people) cast their vote; a plebiscite is the people's verdict, not the ruler's decree.
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