majority

Everyday

1. The bigger part of a group; more than half. tree →
2. The number of votes by which a winner beats others (won by a majority of ten). tree →
3. (formal, law) The age when you are legally an adult. tree →

In the lessons

In maths lessons: majority means more than half, so in a class of 30, a majority is at least 16. In voting (class elections): the majority wins. Phrases: the majority of, a large majority, in the majority, majority vote.

Examples

• The majority of pupils walk to school. tree →
• The majority voted for a trip to the zoo. tree →
• She won by a majority of five votes. tree →
• In our class, girls are in the majority. tree →
• The vast majority of people were kind. tree →
• A majority of 30 people means at least 16 people. tree →
• Most probably some such thoughts as these discouraged the majority from going out into the world to collect the required information. tree →

Note

Countable. "The majority of + plural noun" usually takes a plural verb: "The majority of children like ice cream." For numbers: majority means MORE than half; exactly half is not a majority. Opposite: minority. Trap: "most" and "majority" are similar, but "majority" is for countable groups (the majority of people), not for amounts (not "the majority of the cake").

In Jewish tradition

In maths lessons: majority means more than half, so in a class of 30, a majority is at least 16. In voting (class elections): the majority wins. Phrases: the majority of, a large majority, in the majority, majority vote.

Note

Countable. "The majority of + plural noun" usually takes a plural verb: "The majority of children like ice cream." For numbers: majority means MORE than half; exactly half is not a majority. Opposite: minority. Trap: "most" and "majority" are similar, but "majority" is for countable groups (the majority of people), not for amounts (not "the majority of the cake").