supermajority

noun

su·​per·​ma·​jor·​i·​ty ˈsü-pər-mə-ˌjȯr-ə-tē 

-ˌjär-

plural supermajorities

: a majority (such as two-thirds or three-fifths) that is greater than a simple majority

treaty ratification requires a supermajority

Furthermore, it is about even money that soon after Congress convenes in January it will … approve a constitutional amendment to require supermajorities (three-fifths) in both houses of Congress to approve deficit spending.

—George F. Will

The company, for instance, has a supermajority clause in its articles of incorporation; 80% of the shareholders must approve any sale or merger.

—Joshua Hyatt

Examples of supermajority in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The bylaws indicate that Texas Tech would need to have an opportunity to be heard and that a supermajority vote of other member schools would be required. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 June 2026

Measures can also be placed on the ballot by a city council – like San Jose’s Measure E – and do not require supermajority support if they are structured as general taxes, meaning the revenue goes into a city’s general fund rather than legally locked into a specific program. —Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 12 June 2026

Instead, this past legislative session the supermajority focused on giving prosecutors more ability to certify juveniles as adults. —Ben Wheeler june 12, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026

Musk has supermajority voting rights, with more than 80% control. —Morgan Brennan,harriet Taylor, CNBC, 12 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for supermajority

• exteriority
• inferiority
• superiority
• authority
• majority
• minority
• priority
• seniority
• sonority
• sorority

Legal Definition

supermajority

noun

su·​per·​ma·​jor·​i·​ty ˈsü-pər-mə-ˌjȯr-ə-tē 

: a large majority

a provision requiring a supermajority vote — say, 80 % of the common shares instead of the usual bare majority rule

—R. C. Clark