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

That’s one short of the two-thirds supermajority that would have the power to remake the Premier League along the contours of, say, the N.F.L. A cap on player wages could be imposed, which would greatly benefit the competitive prospects of midsize clubs like Aston Villa. —Bruce Schoenfeld Robert Fass Anna Diamond David Mason, New York Times, 4 May 2024

That puts Democrats only 18 votes shy of retaining majority status and 29 votes short of supermajority status if Pritzker signs the legislation. —Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

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