Meaning of the word majority

This article is about the mathematical concept of majority and its applications. For other uses, see Majority (disambiguation).

Look up majority in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from related terms, is more than half of the total.[1] It is a subset of a set consisting of more than half of the set’s elements. For example, if a group consists of 20 individuals, a majority would be 11 or more individuals, while having 10 or fewer individuals would not constitute a majority. «Majority» can be used to specify the voting requirement, as in a «majority vote», which means more than half of the votes cast.

A majority can be compared to a plurality (sometimes called relative majority), which is a subset larger than any other subset but not necessarily larger than all other subsets combined, and not necessarily greater than half of the set. For example, if there is a group with 20 members which is divided into subgroups with 9, 6, and 5 members, then the 9-member group would be the plurality. A plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset considered may consist of less than half the set’s elements. This can occur when there are three or more possible choices. The (absolute) majority is sometimes referred to as a «simple» majority, compared to a supermajority (a majority requirement above 50%, like a 2/3 requirement), however use of this term is inconsistent as it sometimes refers to a mere plurality (as opposed to an absolute majority).

In British English the term «majority» is also alternatively used to refer to the winning margin, i.e., the number of votes separating the first-place finisher from the second-place finisher. Other related terms containing the word «majority» have their own meanings, which may sometimes be inconsistent in usage.

Majority voteEdit

In parliamentary procedure, the term «majority» simply means «more than half.»[2]: 4  As it relates to a vote, a majority vote is more than half of the votes cast.[3] Abstentions or blanks are excluded in calculating a majority vote.[2]: 6  Also, the totals do not include votes cast by someone not entitled to vote or improper multiple votes by a single member.[4]

Depending on the parliamentary authority used, there may be a difference in the total that is used to calculate a majority vote due to «illegal votes». Illegal votes are votes which are cast for unidentifiable or ineligible candidates or choices.[4] In this definition, «illegal» refers to the choices made on the ballot and does not refer to the persons who cast the votes (i.e. the persons are eligible to vote).

In Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (abbreviated RONR), illegal votes are counted as votes cast, but are not credited to any candidate.[4] In The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (abbreviated TSC), illegal votes are not included in the total and a majority vote is defined as being more than half of all eligible votes cast.[5] The issue of «illegal votes» does not exist when only two options are possible (e.g. «yes» or «no»), such as when a majority vote is required to adopt a proposal (motion). In this context, a majority vote is more «yes» votes than «no» votes.[6]

A majority vote is not the same as a vote of a «majority of the members present» or a vote of a «majority of the entire membership».

ExamplesEdit

For example, assume that votes are cast for three people for an office: Alice, Bob, and Carol.

Scenario 1Edit

Candidate Votes
Alice 14
Bob 4
Carol 2
Total 20

In Scenario 1, Alice received a majority vote. There were 20 votes cast and Alice received more than half of them.

Scenario 2Edit

Candidate Votes
Alice 10
Bob 6
Carol 4
Total 20

In Scenario 2, assume all three candidates are eligible. In this case, no one received a majority vote. This example also illustrates that half the votes cast is not a majority vote.

Scenario 3Edit

Candidate Votes
Alice 10
Bob 6
Carol (ineligible) 4
Total 20

In Scenario 3, assume that Alice and Bob are eligible candidates, but Carol is not. Using Robert’s Rules of Order, no one received a majority vote, which is the same as Scenario 2. In this case, the 4 votes for Carol are counted in the total, but are not credited to Carol (which precludes the possibility of an ineligible candidate being credited with receiving a majority vote). However, using The Standard Code, Alice received a majority vote since only votes for eligible candidates are counted using this book. In this case, there are 16 votes for eligible candidates and Alice received more than half of those 16 votes.

Comparison to pluralityEdit

In all three scenarios, Alice received a plurality, or the most votes among the candidates.[7] However, only in Scenario 1 did Alice receive a majority vote using Robert’s Rules of Order.

Edit

Other related terms containing the word «majority» have their own meanings, which may sometimes be inconsistent in usage.[8]

A majority may sometimes be called a «simple majority» to contrast with other terms using «majority».[8] A «simple majority» may also mean a «relative majority», or a plurality.[9] These two definitions would conflict when a «simple majority» (i.e. plurality) is not a «majority» (also see the disambiguation page for simple majority).

An «absolute majority» may mean a majority of all electors, not just those who voted.[8][10] This usage would be equivalent to a «majority of the entire membership». However, the definition for «absolute majority» is not consistent, as it could also mean the same as «majority» or «simple majority».[8][11][12][13] The meanings for «absolute majority» and «simple majority» would have to be determined from the context in which these terms are used.

A «supermajority», or a «qualified majority», is a specified higher threshold than one half.[8] A common use of a supermajority is a «two-thirds vote», which is sometimes referred to as a «two-thirds majority».

In parliamentary systems, an «overall majority» is the difference of legislators between the government and its opposition.[14] In this context, the term «majority» could be also alternatively used to refer to the winning margin, i.e. the number of votes separating the first-place finisher from the second-place finisher.[1][14]

A «double majority» is a voting system which requires a majority of votes according to two separate criteria.[8]

Temporary majorityEdit

A temporary majority exists when the positions of the members present and voting in a meeting of a deliberative assembly on a subject are not representative of the membership as a whole. Parliamentary procedure contains some provisions designed to protect against a temporary majority violating the rights of absentees. For instance, previous notice is required to rescind, repeal or annul or amend something previously adopted by a majority vote; if previous notice has not been given, a two-thirds vote is required.[15] However, in this and many other cases, previous notice is not required if a majority of the entire membership votes in favor, because that indicates that it is clearly not a temporary majority. Another protection against a decision being made by a temporary majority is the motion to reconsider and enter on the minutes, by which two members can suspend action on a measure until it is called up at a meeting on another day.[16]

Application in other voting requirementsEdit

«Majority» could be specified with respect to the voting body.

«Majority of the entire membership» and «majority of the fixed membership»Edit

A «majority of the entire membership» means more than half of all the members of a body.[17] A «majority of the fixed membership» means more than half of all the seats of a body.[17] A majority of the entire membership is different from a majority of the fixed membership when there are vacancies.[17]

For example, say a board has 12 seats. If the board has the maximum number of members, or 12 members, a majority of the entire membership and a majority of the fixed membership would both be 7 members. However, if there are two vacancies (so that there are only 10 members on the board), then a majority of the entire membership would be 6 members (more than half of 10), but a majority of the fixed membership would still be 7 members.[17]

«Majority of the members present»Edit

A «majority of the members present» means more than half of the members at the meeting.[17] If 30 members were at a meeting, a majority of the members present would be 16. In any situation which specifies such a requirement for a vote, an abstention would have the same effect as a «no» vote.[2]: 6 

A vote of a «majority of the members present» is not the same as a «majority vote». When unqualified, a «majority vote» is taken to mean more than half of the votes cast.[3] If 30 members were at a meeting, but only 20 votes were cast, a majority vote would be 11 votes.[17]

Common errorsEdit

The expression «at least 50% +1» is sometimes used when «majority» is actually intended[2]: 4  but this is incorrect when the total number referred to is odd. For example, say a board has 7 members. «Majority» means «at least 4» in this case (more than half of 7). But 50% + 1 is 4.5, and since a number of people can only be integer, «at least 50% + 1» would mean «at least 5».

See alsoEdit

  • Majoritarianism
  • Majority function
  • Majority rule
  • Silent majority
  • Voting system

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ a b Dictionary definitions of majority at Merriam-Webster, dictionary.com Archived 2015-12-21 at the Wayback Machine, Oxford English Dictionary, thefreedictionary.com, and Cambridge English Dictionary.
  2. ^ a b c d «FAQs». Official Robert’s Rules of Order Website. The Robert’s Rules Association. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
  3. ^ a b Robert, Henry M.; et al. (2011). Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press. p. 400. ISBN 978-0-306-82020-5. The word majority means «more than half»; and when the term majority vote is used without qualification—as in the case of the basic requirement—it means more than half of the votes cast by persons entitled to vote, excluding blanks or abstentions, at a regular or properly called meeting.
  4. ^ a b c Robert 2011, p. 416
  5. ^ The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, 4th edition, 2001, pp. 134, 158-9
  6. ^ Robert 2011, p. 405
  7. ^ Robert 2011, pp. 404–405: «A plurality vote is the largest number of votes to be given any candidate or proposition when three or more choices are possible; the candidate or proposition receiving the largest number of votes has a plurality.»
  8. ^ a b c d e f Schermers, Henry G.; Blokker, Niels M. (2011). International Institutional Law: Unity Within Diversity (Fifth Revised ed.). Leiden, The Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. pp. 561–563. ISBN 978-90-04-18798-6.
  9. ^ See dictionary definition of «simple majority» at dictionary.com.
  10. ^ See dictionary definitions of «simple majority», «absolute majority», and «qualified majority» at EUabc.com.
  11. ^ See dictionary definition of «absolute majority» at dictionary.com.
  12. ^ «Definition of absolute majority noun from Cambridge Dictionary Online».
  13. ^ «With three-cornered contests as common as they now are, we may have occasion to find a convenient single word for what we used to call an absolute majority… In America the word majority itself has that meaning while a poll greater than that of any other candidate, but less than half the votes cast is called a plurality. It might be useful to borrow this distinction…» (Fowler, H.W. 1965 A Dictionary of Modern English Usage)
  14. ^ a b «Overall Majority». Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Longmans. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  15. ^ Robert 2011, p. 306
  16. ^ Robert 2011, p. 332
  17. ^ a b c d e f Robert 2011, p. 403
Источник

ma·jor·i·ty

 (mə-jôr′ĭ-tē, -jŏr′-)

n. pl. ma·jor·i·ties

1. The greater number or part; a number more than half of the total.

2. The amount by which the greater number of votes cast, as in an election, exceeds the total number of remaining votes.

3. The political party, group, or faction having the most power by virtue of its larger representation or electoral strength.

4. Law The age at which a person is recognized as an adult by the law.

5. The military rank, commission, or office of a major.

[French majorité, from Medieval Latin māiōritās, from Latin māior, greater; see meg- in Indo-European roots.]

Usage Note: When majority refers to a particular number of votes, it takes a singular verb: Her majority was five votes. His majority has been growing by 5 percent every year. When it refers to a group of persons or things that are in the majority, it may take either a singular or plural verb, depending on whether the group is considered as a whole or as a set of people considered individually. So we say The majority elects (not elect) the candidate it wants (not they want), since the election is accomplished by the group as a whole; but The majority of the voters live (not lives) in the city, since living in the city is something that each voter does individually. · Majority is often preceded by great (but not by greater) in expressing emphatically the sense of «most of»: The great majority approved. The phrase greater majority is appropriate only when considering two majorities: He won by a greater majority in this election than in the last.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

majority

(məˈdʒɒrɪtɪ)

n, pl -ties

1. the greater number or part of something: the majority of the constituents.

2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (in an election) the number of votes or seats by which the strongest party or candidate beats the combined opposition or the runner-up. See relative majority, absolute majority

3. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) the largest party or group that votes together in a legislative or deliberative assembly

4. (Law) the time of reaching or state of having reached full legal age, when a person is held competent to manage his own affairs, exercise civil rights and duties, etc

5. (Military) the rank, office, or commission of major

6. euphemistic the dead (esp in the phrases join the majority, go or pass over to the majority)

7. obsolete the quality or state of being greater; superiority

8. (modifier) of, involving, or being a majority: a majority decision; a majority verdict.

9. in the majority forming or part of the greater number of something

[C16: from Medieval Latin mājoritās, from major (adj)]

Usage: The majority of can only refer to a number of things or people. When talking about an amount, most of should be used: most of (not the majority of) the harvest was saved

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ma•jor•i•ty

(məˈdʒɔr ɪ ti, -ˈdʒɒr-)

n., pl. -ties.

1. the greater part or number; a number larger than half the total.

2. the amount by which the greater number surpasses the remainder (disting. from plurality).

3. the party or faction with the majority vote.

4. the state or time of being of full legal age: to attain one’s majority.

5. the military rank or office of a major.

[1545–55; < Medieval Latin majōritās. See major, -ity]

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

majority

1. ‘majority’

If something is true of the majority of the people or things in a group, it is true of more than half of them.

The majority of students in the class will go on to study at college.

In the majority of cases, the illness can be treated successfully.

When the majority is not followed by ‘of’, you can use either a singular or plural form of a verb after it.

The majority is still undecided about which way to vote.

The majority were in favour of the proposal.

However, when you use the majority of followed by a plural noun or pronoun, you must use a plural form of a verb after it.

The majority of cars on the road have only one person in them.

2. ‘most of’

Don’t use ‘the majority’ when you are talking about an amount of something or part of something. Don’t say, for example, ‘The majority of the forest has been cut down‘. Say ‘Most of the forest has been cut down’.

Most of the food was good.

Katya did most of the work.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

Translations

většina

flertalmajoritet

enemmistötäysi-ikäisyys

većina

nagykorúságtöbbség

meirihlutimeirihluti; yfirburîir

大部分

대다수

majoratmajoritate

večina

majoritet

ส่วนใหญ่

phần lớn

majority

[məˈdʒɒrɪtɪ]

B. CPD majority decision N by a majority decision → por decisión mayoritaria or de la mayoría
majority interest N → interés m mayoritario
majority rule N → gobierno m mayoritario, gobierno m en mayoría
majority (share)holding N → accionariado m mayoritario
majority verdict N by a majority verdict → por fallo or veredicto mayoritario
majority vote N by a majority vote → por la mayoría de los votos

MAJORITY, MOST

Singular or plural verb?
When mayoría is the subject of a verb, the verb can be in the singular or the plural, depending on the context.

• When translating majority rather than most, put the verb in the singular if majority is seen as a unit rather than a collection of individuals:

The socialist majority voted against the four amendments La mayoría socialista votó en contra de las cuatro enmiendas

• If la mayoría is seen as a collection of individuals, particularly when it is followed by de + ((PLURAL NOUN)), the plural form of the verb is more common than the singular, though both are possible:

The majority still wear this uniform La mayoría siguen vistiendo or sigue vistiendo este uniforme Most scientists believe it is a mistake La mayoría de los científicos creen or cree que se trata de un error

• The plural form must be used when la mayoría or la mayoría de + ((PLURAL NOUN)) is followed by ser or estar + ((plural complement)):

Most of them are men La mayoría son hombres Most of the dead were students La mayoría de los muertos eran estudiantes Most of the children were black La mayoría de los niños eran negros

Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

majority

[məˈdʒɒrɪti]

modif [team, baseball, game] → de première division

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

majority

[məˈdʒɒrɪtɪ]

2. adj (verdict) → maggioritario/a; (government) → di maggioranza

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

major

(ˈmeidʒə) adjective

great, or greater, in size, importance etc. major and minor roads; a major discovery.

noun

1. (often abbreviated to Maj. when written) the rank next below lieutenant-colonel.

2. (American) the subject in which you specialize at college or university. a major in physics; Her major is psychology.

verb

(with in) (American) to study a certain subject in which you specialize at college or university. She is majoring in philosophy.

maˈjority (məˈdʒo-) – plural maˈjorities – noun

1. the greater number. the majority of people.

2. the difference between a greater and a smaller number. The Democratic Party won by/with a majority of six hundred votes.

ˌmajor-ˈgeneral noun

(often abbreviated to Maj.-Gen. when written) in the British army, (a person of) the rank next below lieutenant-general.

the age of majority

legal adulthood (in Britain, eighteen years of age). He has not yet reached the age of majority.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

majority

→ أَغْلَبِيَةٌ většina flertal Mehrheit πλειοψηφία mayoría enemmistö majorité većina maggioranza 大部分 대다수 meerderheid flertall większość maioria большинство majoritet ส่วนใหญ่ büyük çoğunluk phần lớn 多数

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

Источник

большинство, совершеннолетие, чин майора

существительное ↓

- большинство

- юр. совершеннолетие

to reach /to attain/ one’s majority — достигать совершеннолетия 

- редк. чин, звание майора

to join the (great /silent/) majority, to go /to pass over/ to the (great) majority — отправиться в лучший мир /к праотцам/, умереть 

Мои примеры

Словосочетания

gerrymandering urban districts to give rural voters a majority — перекраивание городских округов с целью предоставить большинство голосов сельским избирателям  
the party has a working majority in the House. — Эта партия имеет рабочее большинство в Палате представителей.  
absolute majority — абсолютное большинство, подавляющее большинство  
great part, great majority — большая часть  
to get / receive / carry / gain / win the / a majority — получить большинство  
to have / hold the / a majority — иметь большинство  
to win by an overwhelming majority — победить подавляющим большинством голосов  
by a majority — большинством голосов  
in a majority — в большинстве  
majority present — большинство голосов присутствующих депутатов  
to implement the will of the majority — осуществлять желание большинства  
elected by a great majority of the ballots — избранный большинством голосов  

Примеры с переводом

The vast majority of people will support us. 

Подавляющее большинство людей нас поддержит.

I represent the silent majority. 

Я представляю молчаливое большинство.

We had no choice but to accept the majority decision. 

Нам оставалось лишь принять решение большинства.

They won by a clear majority. 

Они победили подавляющим большинством голосов.

The Democrats have a slim majority in the House. 

Демократы имеют незначительное большинство в Палате.

The policy is supported by the vast majority of citizens. 

Данная политика поддерживается подавляющим большинством граждан.

Two justices dissented from the majority opinion. 

Двое судей заявили о несогласии с мнением большинства.

ещё 23 примера свернуть

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Yeo was returned to Parliament with an increased majority.  

The majority of infants are biased towards being social rather than being antisocial.  

Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.

Формы слова

noun
ед. ч.(singular): majority
мн. ч.(plural): majorities

Источник

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle French maiorité, from Medieval Latin māiōritātem, accusative of Latin māiōritās, from Latin māiōr (“greater”).

Morphologically major +‎ -ity

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /məˈd͡ʒɒɹɪti/
  • (US) IPA(key): /məˈd͡ʒɑɹɪti/, /məˈd͡ʒɔɹɪti/
  • Rhymes: -ɒɹɪti

Noun[edit]

majority (countable and uncountable, plural majorities)

  1. More than half (50%) of some group.

    The majority agreed that the new proposal was the best.

    Those opposing the building plans were in the majority, so the building project was canceled.

    Antonym: minority
    Hyponyms: absolute majority, double majority, qualified majority, silent majority, simple majority, supermajority
    Coordinate term: plurality

    • 1803, Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution:

      The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice.

    • 1920, Champ Clark, Democratic Achievement:

      But in 1912 the American people gave the Democrats another opportunity, and under the leadership of Woodrow Wilson we swept the country from sea to sea. At the end of that historic contest we had the Presidency, the Senate by a working majority, and the House by an overwhelming majority.

  2. The difference between the winning vote and the rest of the votes.

    The winner with 53% had a 6% majority over the loser with 47%.

  3. (dated) Legal adulthood, age of majority.

    By the time I reached my majority, I had already been around the world twice.

  4. (UK) The office held by a member of the armed forces in the rank of major.

    On receiving the news of his promotion, Charles Snodgrass said he was delighted to be entering his majority.

    • 1925, F[rancis] Scott Fitzgerald, chapter VIII, in The Great Gatsby, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1953, →ISBN, page 150:

      He was a captain before he went to the front, and following the Argonne battles he got his majority and the command of the divisional machine-guns.

  5. Ancestors; ancestry.

    • 1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC:

      Of evil parents an evil generation, a posterity not unlike their majority; of mischievous progenitors, a venomous and destructive progeny.

Usage notes[edit]

  • Majority in the sense of «more than half» is used with countable nouns only; for example, «The majority of the members of the committee were in favour of the motion.» While common in colloquial speech, it is often considered incorrect to use majority with uncountable nouns, as in «The majority of the time was wasted.» In the latter case, it is preferable to use expressions such as «the larger part of», «most of», or «the bulk of» instead of «the majority of.»

Derived terms[edit]

  • dictatorship of the majority
  • go over to the majority
  • join the majority
  • majority leader
  • majority rule
  • supermajority
  • tyranny of the majority

[edit]

  • major

Collocations[edit]

Adjectives often used with «majority»

vast, great, overwhelming, large, simple, absolute, clear, immense, good, small, numerical, considerable, parliamentary, constitutional, silent, bare, absolute

Nouns often used with «majority»

vote, opinion, leader, decision, view, party, group, report, verdict, support, status

Translations[edit]

more than half

  • Arabic: غَالِبِيَّة‎ f (ḡālibiyya), أَغْلَبِيّة‎ f (ʔaḡlabiyya), أَكْثَرِيَّة‎ f (ʔakṯariyya)
  • Armenian: մեծամասնություն (hy) (mecamasnutʿyun)
  • Azerbaijani: əksəriyyət, çoxluq (az)
  • Bashkir: күпселек (küpselek)
  • Belarusian: бо́льшасць f (bólʹšascʹ)
  • Bulgarian: болшинство (bg) n (bolšinstvo)
  • Burmese: အများစု (a.mya:cu.)
  • Catalan: majoria (ca) f
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 多數／多数 (zh) (duōshù)
  • Czech: většina (cs) f
  • Danish: flertal (da) n
  • Dutch: meerderheid (nl) f, merendeel (nl) n
  • Esperanto: plimulto, plejparto
  • Estonian: enamus
  • Finnish: enemmistö (fi), yksinkertainen enemmistö
  • French: majorité (fr) f
  • Galician: maioría f
  • Georgian: უმრავლესობა (umravlesoba)
  • German: Mehrheit (de) f, Majorität (de) f
  • Greek: πλειονότητα (el) f (pleionótita), πλειοψηφία (el) f (pleiopsifía)
  • Hungarian: többség (hu)
  • Ido: majoritato (io)
  • Indonesian: mayoritas (id)
  • Italian: maggioranza (it) f
  • Japanese: 多数 (ja) (たすう, tasū)
  • Kazakh: көпшілік (kk) (köpşılık)
  • Korean: 다수(多數) (ko) (dasu), 과반수(過半數) (ko) (gwabansu)
  • Kyrgyz: көпчүлүк (ky) (köpçülük)
  • Latin: majōritās f, plēritās f
  • Latvian: vairākums m
  • Lithuanian: dauguma (lt) f
  • Macedonian: мнозинство n (mnozinstvo), мнозинство n (mnozinstvo)
  • Malay: majoriti
  • Malayalam: ഭൂരിപക്ഷം (ml) (bhūripakṣaṃ)
  • Maltese: maġġoranza f
  • Maori: nuinga
  • Navajo: agháago áníidlą́ą́ʼ
  • Norman: mâjorité f
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: majoritet (no) m, flertall (no) n
    Nynorsk: majoritet m, fleirtal n
  • Occitan: majoritat (oc) f
  • Persian: اکثریت‎ (fa) (aksariyat), اکثریت ساده‎ (aksariyat-e sâde)
  • Polish: większość (pl) f
  • Portuguese: maioria (pt) f
  • Romanian: majoritate (ro) f
  • Russian: большинство́ (ru) n (bolʹšinstvó)
  • Scottish Gaelic: mòr-chuid f
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: већина f
    Roman: većina f
  • Slovak: väčšina f
  • Slovene: večina f
  • Spanish: mayoría (es) f
  • Swedish: majoritet (sv) c
  • Tajik: аксарият (tg) (aksariyat)
  • Turkish: çoğunluk (tr), ekseriyet (tr)
  • Turkmen: köplük, köpçülik
  • Ukrainian: бі́льшість (uk) f (bílʹšistʹ)
  • Uzbek: aksariyat (uz)
  • Vietnamese: đa số (vi), phần đông (vi)
  • Yiddish: מערהייט‎ f (merheyt)
  • Bulgarian: пълнолетие (bg) (pǎlnoletie)
  • Catalan: majoria d’edat f
  • Danish: myndighedsalder (da) c
  • Finnish: täysi-ikäisyys (fi)
  • French: majorité (fr)
  • German: Erwachsenenalter (de) n
  • Greek: ενηλικιότητα (el) f (enilikiótita)
  • Hungarian: nagykorúság (hu)
  • Italian: maggiore età
  • Macedonian: полноле́тство n (polnolétstvo), полноле́тност f (polnolétnost)
  • Norman: mâjorité f
  • Norwegian: myndighetsalder (no) m
  • Portuguese: maioridade (pt) f
  • Romanian: majorat (ro) n
  • Spanish: mayoría de edad f
  • Thai: นิติภาวะ (th) (ní-dtì-paa-wá)

See also[edit]

  • most

See also[edit]

  • Thesaurus:quantifier

Further reading[edit]

  • majority at OneLook Dictionary Search
  • “majority”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
  • “majority”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.
  • majority in Britannica Dictionary
Источник

1

a

: a number or percentage equaling more than half of a total

b

: the excess of a majority over the remainder of the total : margin

won by a majority of 10 votes

c

: the greater quantity or share

2

a

: the age at which full civil rights are accorded

The age of majority in the U.S. is 18.

b

: the status of one who has attained this age

graduated … before he had attained his majority—W. L. Burrage

3

: the group or political party having the greater number of votes (as in a legislature)

4

: the military office, rank, or commission of a major

majorities and colonelcies were thick as June blackberries—Dixon Wecter

5

obsolete

: the quality or state of being greater

Synonyms

Example Sentences



A clear majority of the voters support the policy.



The Republicans are currently the majority in the Senate.

Recent Examples on the Web

Jacobs has been working there along with wide receivers Elijhah Badger, Melquan Stovall and Xavier Guillory. Transfers DeCarlos Brooks and Cam Skattebo look to get a majority of the carries out of the backfield and the wide receiver group is a deep and talented one.


—Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2023




All lost in the general election, prompting fears in some Republican circles of a repeat that could hinder their path to a Senate majority.


—CBS News, 11 Apr. 2023




Valor’s charter application emphasizes interest in Hamilton County, where a majority of board members live, a fact opponents mentioned repeatedly.


—Rachel Fradette, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Apr. 2023




The Democrats, who have 48 senators and three independents (Bernie Sanders, Angus King, and Kysten Sinema), have a narrow one-seat majority.


—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 11 Apr. 2023




Ireland dropped its claim to the northern counties, conditioned on the reality at the time that a majority of Northern Ireland’s population wanted to remain in the United Kingdom.


—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2023




The soft, silver-white metal is the key element in E.V. batteries, and the world produces only a small fraction of the amount that will be needed for a majority of car buyers to go electric in the United States, Europe and China, markets where more than 50 million cars were sold last year.


—Neal E. Boudette, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2023




All lost in the general election, prompting fears in some Republican circles of a repeat that could hinder their path to a Senate majority.


—Jonathan J. Cooper, ajc, 11 Apr. 2023




After three tumultuous months of governing, a new poll by Israel’s Channel 13 News suggests support for Netanyahu’s Likud party is plunging, with the party poised to fall well below a majority in parliament if a new election were to be held now.


—Josh Lederman, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2023


See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘majority.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Time Traveler

The first known use of majority was
in 1552

Dictionary Entries Near majority

Cite this Entry

“Majority.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/majority. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on majority

Last Updated:
13 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences

Subscribe to America’s largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged

Источник

Other forms: majorities

Majority means “most of,” or the biggest part. Does the majority of what owls eat — mice, rats, squirrels, moles — sound appetizing to you? If not, you’re probably in the majority of people.

In an election, victory usually goes to whoever wins the majority of votes, or more than half of them. The opposite of majority is minority. A majority of the more than one billion Roman Catholics in the world live in Latin America; a small minority of all Roman Catholics live in Asia.

Definitions of majority

  1. noun

    the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part

    “the
    majority of his customers prefer it”

    synonyms:

    bulk

    see moresee less

    Antonyms:

    minority

    being or relating to the smaller in number of two parts

    type of:

    figure, number

    the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

  2. noun

    (elections) more than half of the votes

  3. noun

    the age at which persons are considered competent to manage their own affairs

    synonyms:

    legal age

    see moresee less

    Antonyms:

    minority, nonage

    any age prior to the legal age

    type of:

    age, eld

    a time of life (usually defined in years) at which some particular qualification or power arises

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘majority’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Look up majority for the last time

Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the
words you need to know.

VocabTrainer - Vocabulary.com's Vocabulary Trainer

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.

Get started

Источник

  • Top Definitions
  • Quiz
  • Related Content
  • Majority Vs. Plurality
  • Examples
  • British

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

[ muh—jawr-i-tee, —jor— ]

/ məˈdʒɔr ɪ ti, -ˈdʒɒr- /

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

noun, plural ma·jor·i·ties.

the greater part or number; the number larger than half the total (opposed to minority): the majority of the population.

a number of voters or votes, jurors, or others in agreement, constituting more than half of the total number.

the amount by which the greater number, as of votes, surpasses the remainder (distinguished from plurality).

the party or faction with the majority vote: The Democratic Party is the majority.

the state or time of being of full legal age: to attain one’s majority.

the military rank or office of a major.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Which sentence is correct?

Idioms about majority

    join the (great) majority, to die.

Origin of majority

From the Medieval Latin word majōritās, dating back to 1545–55. See major, -ity

synonym study for majority

3. Majority, plurality, in the context of an election, poll, or other voting situation resulting in a statistically based statement, both denote an amount or number larger than some other. In situations in which only two candidates, options, or positions are concerned, the terms are interchangeable, though majority is by far the more commonly used: She beat her opponent by a large majority. The proposal received a large plurality of “Yes” votes. When three or more choices are available, however, a distinction is made between majority and plurality. A majority, then, consists of more than one-half of all the votes cast, while a plurality is merely the number of votes one candidate receives in excess of the votes for the candidate with the next largest number. Thus, in an election in which three candidates receive respectively 500, 300, and 200 votes, the first candidate has a plurality of 200 votes, but not a majority of all the votes cast. If the three candidates receive 600, 300, and 100 votes, the first has a majority of 100 votes (that is 100 votes more than one-half the total of 1000 cast) and a plurality of 300 votes over the nearest opponent.

OTHER WORDS FROM majority

non·ma·jor·i·ty, noun, plural non·ma·jor·i·ties.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH majority

majority , plurality (see synonym study at the current entry)

Words nearby majority

majorette, major general, major histocompatibility complex, majoritarian, majoritarianism, majority, majority carrier, majority leader, majority-minority, major key, major league

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MAJORITY VS. PLURALITY

What’s the difference between a majority and a plurality?

Generally speaking, the word majority refers to an amount that’s larger than half of a total, while the word plurality refers to an amount that’s the largest of all the amounts that make up a total (even if it’s less than half).

In casual use, the two words are sometimes used interchangeably to mean more than half of a total.

They are also sometimes used interchangeably in an election with only two candidates (though majority is much more commonly used in the context). That’s because, in an election with only two ways to vote, getting more votes necessarily means getting more than half of the votes. For example, in such an election, a candidate can be said to have won by a two-thirds majority or a two-thirds plurality (meaning they have received two-thirds of all the votes cast, with the losing candidate receiving one-third).

The terms are used in differing ways in elections with three or more candidates. In such an election, the word plurality often refers to the highest number of votes received when no candidate has received more than 50% of the vote.

In this context, to win a plurality of votes, you just have to get the largest percentage of all vote-getters, which may not be as high as 50%. For example, a candidate in a three-way race may win the plurality by getting 40% of votes, with the runner-up getting 35% of votes and the last-place finisher getting 25% of votes. To win a majority of votes, a candidate would have to get more than 50%.

Sometimes, plurality refers to how many more votes the winner has than the runner-up, and majority refers to the number of votes by which a candidate has exceeded the amount that would be 50%.

If three candidates were to receive 600, 300, and 100 votes, the winner would have a 100-vote majority (due to having 100 votes more than 500, which is half of the total of 1,000 votes cast) and a plurality of 300 votes over the nearest opponent.

Some types of elections require a candidate to receive the majority of the votes to win the election, while others just require a plurality.

Here’s an example of majority and plurality used correctly in the same sentence.

Example: Although no candidate received the majority of the vote, Ms. Molineaux got the plurality with 40%.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between majority and plurality.

Quiz yourself on majority vs. plurality!

Should majority or plurality be used in the following sentence?

At 65% of all purchases, sneakers make up the _____ of the company’s sales.

Words related to majority

bulk, mass, max, more, preponderance, superiority, estate, manhood, maturity, prime, seniority, womanhood, lion’s share, age of consent, prime of life

How to use majority in a sentence

  • The majority of CU Boulder cases come from off-campus students.

  • Busting the filibuster and using a newly unleashed majority to uncork several major changes to the structure of American politics would be a shocking turn of events.

  • Since mid-June, a majority of the new coronavirus deaths each day have occurred in red states.

  • Polls conducted in the past two months show a majority of Americans worry development of the vaccine is being rushed and a third wouldn’t get inoculated.

  • The truth is that the majority of gang members never commit a gang-related crime in their life.

  • I think a large majority of our fans are [other] nationalities.

  • House rules require an absolute majority of members voting to choose a speaker.

  • Again, I do not know House Majority Whip Scalise or President Obama personally.

  • This is a state, after all, where Duke, in his statewide race for governor in 1991, received a majority of the white vote.

  • Though this too is debatable given that 25,000 to 40,000 people a year die of influenza—the vast majority of them unvaccinated.

  • Ever since his majority Lord Hetton had annually entered a colt in the great race.

  • Such is the opinion of this Correspondent to the Times, and it is doubtless the opinion of a fair and just majority.

  • While the majority pulled in one way there was an active minority that wished the Nana to set up an independent kingdom.

  • At any rate, whatsoever that curious reservation meant, the majority of the staff were opposed to surrender.

  • The majority pick up a job when they can, but are inevitably idle and suffering two-thirds of the time.

British Dictionary definitions for majority

noun plural -ties

the greater number or part of somethingthe majority of the constituents

(in an election) the number of votes or seats by which the strongest party or candidate beats the combined opposition or the runner-upSee relative majority, absolute majority

the largest party or group that votes together in a legislative or deliberative assembly

the time of reaching or state of having reached full legal age, when a person is held competent to manage his own affairs, exercise civil rights and duties, etc

the rank, office, or commission of major

euphemistic the dead (esp in the phrases join the majority, go or pass over to the majority)

obsolete the quality or state of being greater; superiority

(modifier) of, involving, or being a majoritya majority decision; a majority verdict

in the majority forming or part of the greater number of something

Word Origin for majority

C16: from Medieval Latin mājoritās, from major (adj)

usage for majority

The majority of can only refer to a number of things or people. When talking about an amount, most of should be used: most of (not the majority of) the harvest was saved

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Источник

Понравилась статья? Поделить с друзьями:
  • Meaning of the word maintain
  • Meaning of the word newspaper
  • Meaning of the word machine
  • Meaning of the word new york
  • Meaning of the word loyal