more, greater: the comparative of "much/many", used of number, amount, value, or extent
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This is simply the comparative form of the Greek word for "much" or "many" (πολύς). Where that word says "much" or "many," this one says "more" or "greater." It reaches in several directions depending on what is being compared:
more in number or amount ("they made more disciples," "she gave more than all")
greater in worth or importance ("life is more than food," "a more excellent sacrifice")
the greater part, the majority (when it stands alone for a group of people)
longer or further, of time or extent ("stay a longer time," "spread no further")
Because it is a comparative, it almost always implies a "than," whether stated or understood. The reader rarely needs help here: the plain English "more" or "greater" carries it. Two habits of the word are worth noticing. When it stands alone in the plural for people, it means "the majority" or "most of them," not just a vague "many." And in the fixed phrase "a greater than Jonah is here," the word is a quiet, almost understated way of pointing to something that outweighs what came before, close in force to the separate word for greatness in rank (μέγας).
Nuances
1amore, in number or amount: a greater quantity of things or people
always comparative, so it carries an implied "than" even when the second thing is left unsaidMat 20:10
Both
both name a greater quantity set against a smaller oneRev 2:19
Only more
English "more" is neutral about kind; it does not by itself signal whether the comparison is of number or of worth, which the Greek context usually makes plain
“greater”
Comparison data is not available for this English gloss yet.
“the greater part”
Comparison data is not available for this English gloss yet.
“many”
Comparison data is not available for this English gloss yet.
“longer”
Comparison data is not available for this English gloss yet.
How pleiōn, pleion differs from similar Greek words
πολύςthe plain "much, many"; this word is its comparative "more, greater."
Names a quantity or degree as being greater than some other, setting up an explicit comparison between two things: more than, greater than, larger.Mat 5:20Mat 20:10Heb 3:3
Used on its own for the larger portion of a group: the greater number, the majority, most of them.1Co 10:51Co 15:62Co 2:6
Both
Both express abundance of quantity or degree from the same root; the difference is only that the one states the amount plainly while the other measures it against something else, and a single verse can hold both.Jhn 7:31
Names a large amount or number in itself, with no comparison implied: many people, much fruit, a great herd.Mat 4:25Mat 8:30Mat 9:37
Stands for the large body of people collectively, the crowd or multitude taken as a whole: the many.Mat 20:28Mat 24:5Mat 26:28
πλεῖστοςthe top of the same ladder: the superlative "most, the very greatest," where this word is the middle step "more."
μέγαςgreatness in size, rank, or importance, where this word is greatness in number or amount.
περισσότερος"more" in the sense of extra, over and above what is expected; this word is simply "more" than a compared amount.
pleiōn, pleion in the other biblical languages
רַבHebrew“many”the Hebrew for "many, great"; Hebrew has no separate comparative word and says "more" by adding "than," so this is its nearest single-word match.
What scholars say about pleiōn, pleion
πλείων is the comparative of πολύς and is treated by the standard lexica as a straightforward degree form spanning quantity, value, and extent. BDAG distinguishes the quantitative use ("more" in number or amount), the substantival plural οἱ πλείονες/πλείους for "the majority, the greater part," and the qualitative use ("greater" in worth or rank), together with the adverbial ἐπὶ πλεῖον "further, to a greater degree." The neuter πλεῖον in the Q sayings (Matt 12:41-42 par. Luke 11:31-32) is commonly read as a deliberately understated reference to Jesus rather than a strictly impersonal comparison.