majority

noun

ma·​jor·​i·​ty mə-ˈjȯr-ə-tē 

-ˈjär-

plural majorities

1

a

: 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

2

a

: 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

majority adjective

Synonyms

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

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

Democrats will now seek to go back on offense to try to win the majority and place a check on the incoming Trump administration. —Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 29 Nov. 2024

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of the top 10 master’s degrees with the highest average starting salaries are in STEM fields. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2024

Given the government has a majority in the House, the bill will be passed into law. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 28 Nov. 2024

That will mean Americans face paying higher prices for fresh produce, including avocados—the vast majority of which are imported from Mexico to meet the intense domestic demand. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Phrases Containing majority

• in the majority
• majority leader
• majority rule
• the great majority of
• the silent majority
• tyranny of the majority

Kids Definition

majority

noun

ma·​jor·​i·​ty mə-ˈjȯr-ət-ē 

-ˈjär-

plural majorities

1

a

: the age at which one is given full civil rights

b

: the status of one who has reached this age

2

a

: a number or percentage greater than half of a total

b

: the amount by which such a number exceeds the smaller number

won by a majority of seven

3

: the group or party that makes up the greater part of a whole body of persons

the majority in the senate

4

: the military office or rank of a major

Legal Definition

majority

noun

ma·​jor·​i·​ty mə-ˈjȯr-ə-tē 

plural majorities

1

a

: legal age

b

: the status of one who has reached legal age

2

a

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

b

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

3

a

: 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

majority adjective