supermajority

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noun su·per·ma·jor·i·ty \ ˈsü-pər-mə-ˌjȯr-ə-tē , -ˌjär- \

Definition of supermajority

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

Recent Examples of supermajority from the Web

Kasich, a Republican, has been at odds with the GOP supermajority in the General Assembly over Medicaid expansion, with the governor arguing the state needs the program and many lawmakers wanting to dismantle the program.

— laura hancock, cleveland.com, "Ohio Senate to meet Tuesday to vote to override Kasich's budget vetoes," 15 Aug. 2017
This morning, the guv proposed an amendment to Florida's constitution that would require a supermajority of lawmakers to increase any tax or fee in the state, as opposed to the simple majority that requires now.

— dan sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Hateful times: Push-back to the push-back in Virginia," 14 Aug. 2017
In 2015, after winning a supermajority in the national assembly, the opposition saw the body’s powers systematically challenged and ultimately stripped away by a supreme court loyal to Maduro.

— noris soto, Bloomberg.com, "Venezuela Opposition Joins Elections Despite Crackdown," 9 Aug. 2017
But to quash such disputes for good Jerry Brown, California’s governor, needed to convince a supermajority of legislators (two-thirds) to extend cap-and-trade to 2030.

— The Economist, "Paris-on-seaCalifornia pushes on with plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," 20 July 2017
Democrats hold a supermajority in both chambers, but some Assembly Democrats may not think the bill does enough to improve local air quality.

— kathleen ronayne, The Seattle Times, "Lawmakers announce plan to extend California cap and trade," 10 July 2017
Thursday marked the end of this chapter when the House eked out the supermajority needed to override the veto, a day in Springfield that included a two-hour emergency lockdown.

— rafael guerrero, Elgin Courier-News, "Elgin agencies welcome first state budget in two years," 7 July 2017
Now imagine that 270 million Americans believed that and, having the necessary supermajority to pull it off, voted away our Constitution.

— jonah goldberg, National Review, "When Would You Stop Loving America?," 5 July 2017
Normally, a supermajority of 60 votes is required to end debate in the Senate and move on to a vote; otherwise, one opponent of a measure can talk a bill to death, the process known as a filibuster.

— erik wasson, Bloomberg.com, "These Are the Few Defenses Obamacare Has Left," 26 June 2017

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