majority

noun

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ma·jor·i·ty | \ mə-ˈjȯr-ə-tē

, -ˈjär- \

plural majorities

Definition of majority

1a : a number or percentage equaling more than half of a total a majority of voters a two-thirds majority

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 the majority of the time

2a : 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

Other Words from majority Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About majority

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Synonyms & Antonyms for majority

Synonyms

Antonyms

minority

Examples of majority in a Sentence

A clear majority of the voters support the policy. The Republicans are currently the majority in the Senate.

Recent Examples on the Web That does not include the majority of SIV holders -- tens of thousands of people -- who were also left behind in the abrupt evacuation. — Libby Cathey, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2021 The majority of these traders, many of whom are new, are under 40 and also highly leveraged, says brokerage Korea Investment and Securities. — Yvonne Lau, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2021 Today, however, the majority of Web traffic originates from mobile devices. — Expert Panel®, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2021 The majority of Americans, around 104 million, have received Pfizer's vaccine, and more than 69,400,000 got Moderna, according to the Centers of Disease Control. — Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, 15 Oct. 2021 Sewell’s district, District 7, was the only majority Black congressional district, at 64%. — Mike Cason | Mcason@al.com, al, 15 Oct. 2021 Judges have released the vast majority of the defendants, including more than a dozen members and associates of the Oath Keepers, a far-right group, who are charged in perhaps the most serious case brought so far in the attack. — BostonGlobe.com, 14 Oct. 2021 The majority of the money, $16.5 million, will upgrade playgrounds and bring improvements to basketball, tennis and other hard courts. — Amelia Pak-harvey, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Oct. 2021 According to a new poll from Axios-Ipsos, a majority of Americans, 65%, support requiring vaccines for everyone working in a health care setting. — Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 13 Oct. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'majority.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near majority

majoritarianism

majority

majority leader

Statistics for majority

Last Updated

18 Oct 2021

Cite this Entry

“Majority.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/majority. Accessed 25 Oct. 2021.

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More Definitions for majority

majority

noun

English Language Learners Definition of majority

: a number that is greater than half of a total

: a number of votes that is more than half of the total number

: the group or party that is the greater part of a large group

See the full definition for majority in the English Language Learners Dictionary

majority

noun

ma·jor·i·ty | \ mə-ˈjȯr-ə-tē

plural majorities

Kids Definition of majority

1 : a number greater than half of a total

2 : a group or party that makes up the greater part of a whole body of people The majority chose a leader.

3 : the amount by which a number is more than half the total She won the election by a majority of 200 votes.

4 : the age at which a person has the full rights of an adult

majority

noun

ma·jor·i·ty | \ mə-ˈjȯr-ə-tē

plural majorities

Legal Definition of majority

1a : legal age

b : the status of one who has reached legal age

2a : a number or quantity greater than half of a total — compare plurality

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

3a : the group or political party whose votes predominate

b : the judges voting in a particular case who together determine the prevailing decision — see also majority opinion at opinion — compare dissent sense 3