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Minority vs Majority - What's the difference?

minority | majority |

Majority is a antonym of minority.



As nouns the difference between minority and majority

is that minority is the state of being a minor; youth, the period of a person's life prior to reaching adulthood while majority is more than half (50%) of some group.

minority

English

Noun

(minorities)
  • The state of being a minor; youth, the period of a person's life prior to reaching adulthood.
  • * 2011 , (Norman Davies), Vanished Kingdoms , Penguin 2012, p. 117:
    • She also played a key role as dowager-regent during the minority of her son.
  • Any subgroup that does not form a numerical majority.
    • Most people agreed, but a sizable minority were upset by the decision.
  • Empowered by or representing a minority (usually a plurality) of votes cast, legislative seats, etc., rather than an outright majority thereof.
  • (US) A member of an ethnic minority.
    • The company claims it has hired several minorities since the complaint was lodged.

    Synonyms

    * (youth) childhood

    Antonyms

    * (subgroup) majority * (youth) adulthood

    Derived terms

    * majority-minority * minority government * minority group * minority leader * minority report * minority rule

    Related terms

    * minor

    majority

    English

    (wikipedia majority)

    Noun

    (majorities)
  • More than half (50%) of some group
    • The majority agreed that the new proposal was the best.
    Those opposing the building plans were in the majority , so the building project was canceled.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1920, title=, author=Champ Clark
    • , passage=But in 1912 the American people gave the Democrats another opportunity, and under the leadership of Woodrow Wilson we swept the country from sea to sea. At the end of that historic contest we had the Presidency, the Senate by a working majority, and the House by an overwhelming majority.}}
  • The difference between the winning vote and the rest of the votes
    • The winner with 53% had a 6% majority over the loser with 47%.
  • (dated) Legal adulthood
    • By the time I reached my majority , I had already been around the world twice.
  • (UK) The office held by a member of the armed forces in the rank of major
    • On receiving the news of his promotion, Charles Snodgrass said he was delighted to be entering his majority .
  • Ancestors; ancestry.

    • Usage notes

    * Majority in the sense of "more than half" is used with countable nouns only; for example, "The majority of the members of the committee were in favour of the motion." It is incorrect to use with it uncountable nouns, as in "The majority of the world is covered with water." In the latter case, it is preferable to use expressions such as "the larger part of" or "most of" instead of the "the majority of",

    Antonyms

    * (more than half) minority

    Derived terms

    * by a majority * dictatorship of the majority * double majority * majority leader * majority rule * silent majority * simple majority * supermajority * tyranny of the majority

    Related terms

    * major * plurality

    See also

    * most