majority

noun

ma·jor·i·ty | \mə-ˈjȯr-ə-tē,

-ˈjär-\

plural majorities

Definition of majority

1 obsolete : the quality or state of being greater

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

3a : 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

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

5 : the military office, rank, or commission of a major majorities and colonelcies were thick as June blackberries— Dixon Wecter

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

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Synonyms & Antonyms for majority

Synonyms

bulk, generality, lion's share, mass, preponderance

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

For example, McDonald’s offers paid leave to corporate employees, but the vast majority of its 375,000 workers are hourly and not covered. — Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, "Paid family leave: While US lags behind, more states set policies," 12 July 2018 According to projections by Robert Griffin, Ruy Teixeira and Bill Frey, a trio of eminent demographers, a majority of eligible voters in Texas will be non-white by next year. — The Economist, "Demography is not destinyBuilding a multiracial coalition is more difficult than it seems," 12 July 2018 The vast majority of the precincts – 53 – are in Kane County, with three in Kendall. — Susan Demar Lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Will County to spend $72,400 to take over Aurora precincts," 12 July 2018 There was a time when a majority of local high school teams — 42 to be exact — were involved in a season that concludes with the Phil Lawler Summer Classic. — Pat Disabato, Daily Southtown, "Disabato: As travel schedules continue to expand, high school baseball teams feeling the summer squeeze," 13 July 2018 Rather than strengthening a narrow parliamentary majority, the Conservatives lost seats. — Arthur I. Cyr, Lake County News-Sun, "Cyr: Britain’s prime minister takes charge of cabinet," 13 July 2018 Christian Larsen of Aalborg University found that a small majority of Danes thought immigrants should have immediate access to health care and public education; few thought that generosity should extend to unemployment or child benefit. — The Economist, "The welfare state needs updating," 12 July 2018 And Democrats need to flip just 23 states to win the majority in the House. — Fredreka Schouten, USA TODAY, "Paul Ryan's fundraising committee raises nearly $10 million for midterm elections," 13 July 2018 Can Democrats win back a majority in the House in 2018? — Bryan Lowry, kansascity, "‘His social views were liberal.’ Candidate met with Dems before launching GOP run," 13 July 2018

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

Phrases Related to majority

in the majority

the great majority of

the silent majority

tyranny of the majority

Statistics for majority

Last Updated

26 Sep 2018

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Time Traveler for majority

The first known use of majority was in 1552

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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