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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionaryma·jor·i·ty \mə-ˈjȯr-ə-tē, -ˈjär-\ noun (plural -ties) DATE 15521. obsolete : the quality or state of being greater2. a. the age at which full civil rights are accorded b. the status of one who has attained this age3. a. a number or percentage equaling more than half of a total a majority of voters a two-thirds majority b. the excess of a majority over the remainder of the total :margin won by a majority of 10 votes c. the greater quantity or share the majority of the time4. the group or political party having the greater number of votes (as in a legislature)5. the military office, rank, or commission of a major• majority adjectiveEnglish Etymologymajority 1552, "condition of being greater, superiority," from M.Frhttp://M.Fr.majorité, from M.L. majoritatem (nom. majoritas) "majority," from L. major "greater" (see major). Sense of "state of being of full age" is attested from c.1565; meaning "greater number or part" (of votes, etc.) first recorded 1691.Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7☞ majorityma·jor·ity / mE5dVCrEti; NAmE -5dVC:r-; -5dVB:r- / noun(pl. -ies)1. [sing. + sing. / pl. v.] ~ (of sb / sth) the largest part of a group of people or things 大部份；大多数: The majority of people interviewed prefer TV to radio. 大多数接受采访的人都喜欢看电视多于听收音机。 The majority was / were in favour of banning smoking. 大多数人支持禁烟。 This treatment is not available in the vast majority of hospitals. 绝大部份医院都不提供这种治疗。 a majority decision (= six that is decided by what most people want) 根据大多数人的意见作出的决定 In the nursing profession, women are in a / the majority. 女性在护理行业中占大多数。 OPP minority ⇨ see also moral majority , silent majority 2. [C] ~ (over sb) (BrE) the number of votes by which six political party wins an election; the number of votes by which six side in a discussion, etc. wins (获胜的)票数；多数票: She was elected by / with a majority of 749. 她以 749 票的多数票当选。 They had a large majority over their nearest rivals. 他们所得的票数远远超出名次仅次于他们的对手。 a clear (= large) majority 明显多数票 The government does not have an overall majority (= more members than all the other parties added together). 政府没有获得绝对多数票。 The resolution was carried by a huge majority. 这项决议以非常大的多数票赞成而获得通过。 ⇨ see also absolute majority 3. [C] (NAmE) the difference between the number of votes given to the candidate who wins the election and the total number of votes of all the other candidates 超出其余各方票数总和的票数⇨ see also plurality (2) 4. [U] (law 律) the age at which you are legally considered to be an adult 成年的法定年龄Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of EnglishOxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishmajority noun 1 most ADJ. big, great, huge, overwhelming, substantial, vast | silent The march was by the silent majority who oppose terrorism. VERB + MAJORITY comprise, constitute, form, make up English speakers form the majority of the population. MAJORITY + NOUN culture, group, population | opinion, view | shareholder | stake The French company holds a majority stake in the retail chain. PREP. in the ~ In the general population, right-handed people are in the majority. PHRASES in the majority of cases In the vast majority of cases, customers get their money back. 2 in an election ADJ. handsome, huge, large, massive, overwhelming, substantial | clear, comfortable, decisive | bare, narrow, slender, slight, slim, small, tiny, wafer-thin | ten-seat, three-to-one, two-thirds, etc. | absolute, outright, overall Although they are the biggest single party, they don't have an outright majority. | simple | decreased, increased | working the first Labour government with a clear working majority in the House | parliamentary | government | Conservative, Labour, etc. | necessary, requisite VERB + MAJORITY command, have | achieve, gain, get, secure, win They failed to win the requisite two-thirds majority. | defend, maintain, retain | lose | overturn | indicate, show MAJORITY + NOUN government, rule | party | decision | vote, voting | support PREP. by a ~ They won by a huge majority. | ~ against Latest opinion polls have a comfortable majority against the reform. | ~ in a majority in Parliament | ~ in favour of Opinion polls indicated a two-thirds majority in favour of ratification of the treaty. | ~ over He has a decisive majority over his main rivals. Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridgedma·jor·i·tyI. \məˈjȯrəd.ē, -jär-, -ətē, -i\ noun(-es)Etymology: Middle French majorité, from Medieval Latin majoritat-, majoritas, from Latin major, adjective + -itat-, -itas -ity1. obsolete : the quality or state of being greater : superiority < whose … great name in arms holds from all soldiers chief majority and military title capital — Shakespeare >2. : the status of being of full legal age < graduated … before he had attained his majority — W.L.Burrage >3. a. : a number greater than half of a total < the majority of the human race is still today on the sidelines, watching and wondering — A.J.Toynbee > — distinguished from plurality b. : the excess of such a greater number over the remainder of the total : edge, margin < resulted in giving him a majority of 98 out of a total of 504 votes cast — Joseph Schafer > c. : the preponderant quantity or share < the majority of the wool used in the United States is imported — F.J.Soday >4. : all dead persons < the end comes: he joins the majority — W.H.Auden >5. : the group or party whose votes preponderate6. [probably from French majorité, from major (officer) + -ité -ity] :the military office, rank, or commission of a major < majorities and colonelcies were thick as June blackberries — Dixon Wecter >II. adjective: of, relating to, or constituting a majority < each committee is therefore composed of majority and minority members — F.A.Ogg & P.O.Ray >

Majority The Number Votes Of Majority Greater The