majoritarianism

noun

ma·​jor·​i·​tar·​i·​an·​ism mə-ˌjȯr-ə-ˈter-ē-ə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce majoritarianism (audio)
-ˌjär-
: the philosophy or practice according to which decisions of an organized group should be made by a numerical majority of its members

Examples of majoritarianism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But if Hinduism is intrinsic to the Bollywood machinery, so, of course, is Khan — and the country’s many Muslim superstars and invisible artisans, past and present: a signifier of the essential pluralism beneath the country’s majoritarianism. Mallika Rao, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024 Here, the last 10 years have been rife with incidents of Hindu majoritarianism. Aakash Hassan, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024 But then, a deadly mix of religious and linguistic majoritarianism reared its head. Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Similarly, there is suspicion among minority communities that the National Unity Government could return to the Buddhist-Bamar majoritarianism that characterized Aung San Suu Kyi’s rule. Avinash Paliwal, Foreign Affairs, 24 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for majoritarianism 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'majoritarianism.' 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

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of majoritarianism was in 1942

Dictionary Entries Near majoritarianism

Cite this Entry

“Majoritarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/majoritarianism. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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