majority

majority — noun

1. the portion of a group that makes up over fifty percent of its total members or

1.nounA2
Definition

the portion of a group that makes up over fifty percent of its total members or items.

Example

The majority of students in Rachel's class voted for the Friday field trip.

the majority of + plural noun (students)

A majority of voters supported the new public transport plan.

Common collocations
  • vast majority
  • overwhelming majority
  • simple majority
  • the majority of
  • majority of people
  • majority of voters
Synonyms
  • most

    more common in everyday speech; not restricted to countable groups

  • bulk

    more formal; often used for physical quantities or the main portion of something

  • greater part

    less formal, interchangeable with 'majority' in many contexts

Antonyms
  • minority

    the smaller part of a group, making up less than half

Grammar Patterns

the majority of + plural noun

Usage Note

The phrase 'the majority of' is followed by a plural noun but can take either a singular or plural verb, depending on whether the group is seen as a single unit or as individuals. In practice, a plural verb is common in British English when the noun is plural: 'the majority of students are…'

Common Mistakes

The majority of the cake is gone.
Most of the cake is gone.
'majority' is used for countable groups of people or things, not for uncountable quantities like food.
Majority of people agree.
The majority of people agree.' or 'Most people agree.
'majority' usually requires 'the' or 'a' before it.

2. the vote-count difference between the winner and the second-place candidate in a

2.nounB2
Definition

the vote-count difference between the winner and the second-place candidate in an election or vote.

Example

Andrew won the election with a majority of over two thousand votes.

with a majority of [number] votes

The ruling party's majority in parliament has shrunk to just twelve seats.

possessive: [party]'s majority in [body]

Common collocations
  • absolute majority
  • slim majority
  • narrow majority
  • comfortable majority
  • landslide majority
  • two-thirds majority
  • secure a majority
  • win a majority
Synonyms
  • margin

    broader term; can refer to any difference in votes or scores

  • plurality

    in US elections, the largest share of votes when no one passes 50%; not the same as majority

Grammar Patterns

a + adjective + majority + of + number

[party]'s + majority

Usage Note

When used for the margin of victory, 'majority' is often modified by an adjective describing the size: 'slim majority', 'comfortable majority', 'landslide majority'. In some voting systems, 'absolute majority' means more than half of all eligible votes, while 'simple majority' means more than half of the votes actually cast.

Common Mistakes

She won by a majority of 10%' (when meaning 10 percentage points).
She won by a margin of 10 percentage points.
'majority' refers to the vote count difference, not a percentage in all contexts.

3. the legally recognised point in life when a person is considered an adult, with

3.nounB2
Definition

the legally recognised point in life when a person is considered an adult, with full rights and duties such as voting and signing contracts.

Example

Tuan reached the age of majority on his eighteenth birthday.

reached the age of majority

In Taiwan, the age of majority is twenty, not eighteen.

Common collocations
  • age of majority
  • reach majority
  • the age of majority
Synonyms
  • legal age

    more general term for any age set by law for a specific right, not just adulthood

  • adulthood

    everyday word for the state of being an adult

  • coming of age

    used both legally and culturally for the transition to adulthood

Antonyms
  • minority

    the legal status of being under the age of majority

Grammar Patterns

the age of majority

reach (the age of) majority

Usage Note

This sense is almost always used in the fixed phrases 'age of majority' or 'reach majority'. It is a formal legal term. In everyday conversation, people are more likely to say 'turn eighteen' or 'become an adult'. The opposite legal status is 'minority' (the condition of being a minor).

Common Mistakes

He reached majority age and could vote.
He reached the age of majority and could vote.
The standard fixed phrase is 'age of majority,' not 'majority age.'
Idioms

in the majority

idiom

forming the larger part of a group; being part of the group that has the most members or supporters.

At the town hall meeting, those who opposed the new parking rules were clearly in the majority.

the silent majority

idiom

a large group of people in a society who do not publicly express their opinions or take part in political debates.

The politician claimed that the silent majority supported his policies, even though protesters were loud in their opposition.

majority rule

idiom

a system of decision-making in which the choice supported by more than half of the voters is accepted by the whole group.

In a democracy, majority rule is the basic principle for making decisions, while still protecting the rights of the minority.

Word family

  • major
    adjectiveA2
  • major
    nounB1
  • majoritarian
    adjectiveC1
  • majorly
    adverbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Majority' and 'most' are close in meaning, but 'majority' is more formal and is typically used for countable groups in statistical or political contexts ('a majority of voters'), while 'most' is the everyday word used for both countable and uncountable things ('most people', 'most of the water'). 'Bulk' emphasises the physical or quantitative size of the main portion ('the bulk of the work') and is more common in written than spoken English. 'Plurality' is a specialised term used in US elections for the largest share of votes when no candidate reaches 50% — a plurality is not necessarily a majority. For example, if Candidate A gets 40%, B gets 35%, and C gets 25%, Candidate A has a plurality but not a majority.

majority ↗most ↗bulk ↗plurality

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'majority' comes from Medieval Latin 'maioritas', which was formed from Latin 'maior' meaning 'greater'. It passed into English through Anglo-Norman French 'majorité' in the 1500s. The earliest meaning in English was the rank or office of a military major, but by the 1600s it had shifted to its current core meaning of 'the greater number'. The legal sense of 'age of majority' developed in the 1700s, as society formalised the age at which a person gained full legal rights.