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
George F. WillThe company, for instance, has a supermajority clause in its articles of incorporation; 80% of the shareholders must approve any sale or merger.—Joshua Hyatt
Joshua HyattExamples of supermajority in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hepburn dropped a request that may have been the most contentious — requiring a supermajority of six of nine board members to fire him without cause.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2025
The push, to be sure, has virtually no chance of success, with a number of House moderates casting doubt on the idea, and a supermajority — 67 votes — needed to approve the effort in the Senate.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 21 Mar. 2025
But allies have suggested that the constitution may be amended to extend his rule – though that would require a supermajority, and buy-in from smaller parties – or that elections could be called early, which would give Mr. Erdoğan a chance to run again.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2025
The measure faces a more difficult process in the 100-seat Senate, which requires a supermajority of at least 60 votes to pass.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for supermajority
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2025
The push, to be sure, has virtually no chance of success, with a number of House moderates casting doubt on the idea, and a supermajority — 67 votes — needed to approve the effort in the Senate.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 21 Mar. 2025
But allies have suggested that the constitution may be amended to extend his rule – though that would require a supermajority, and buy-in from smaller parties – or that elections could be called early, which would give Mr. Erdoğan a chance to run again.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2025
The measure faces a more difficult process in the 100-seat Senate, which requires a supermajority of at least 60 votes to pass.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for supermajority
Cite this Entry
“Supermajority.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supermajority. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal 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
R. C. ClarkLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share