The issue of plurinationalism became a dominating theme in Latin America in the early 21st century, in relation to the reformulation of constitutions and re-definitions of nationhood. A starting point of our study is to remind that the concept of plurinationalism – beyond the word itself – is not an invention of the late 20th century, nor a concept originated in Latin America. We begin our analysis by making an outline of European precedents of the plurinational idea, and then turn to a brief recount of the precedents in the American continent. We then turn to the emergence of plurinationalism as such in Latin America, by the 1980s, and then to its evolution in particular cases, focusing on Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Chile. Finally, we will analyze the current views on plurinationalism, trying to unfold whether there are Latin American contributions to this conceptual framework.  Considering the increasing relevance of this concept in Latin America and beyond, the aim of this study is, (1) to explore the origin of the term ‘plurinationalism’ and its different perspectives, which can be found in Europe, Latin America, and at a (continental) Inter-American level; (2) to identify varieties of plurinationalism, in order to point out the Latin American contributions to this field.