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Politics & Government vocabulary · Parliament and Legislation

Majority

Meaning in politics & government, with examples

/məˈdʒɒrəti/nounCore term

In politics & government, majority means: The larger part of a group, especially more than half of the seats in parliament or of the votes cast; also the number by which the winner is ahead of the others.

In Turkish: çoğunluk, salt çoğunluk

How it is used

A party wins, holds, loses or increases its majority. An absolute majority means more than half; a simple majority means more votes for than against; a qualified majority, such as two-thirds, is needed for some important decisions. The opposite is minority.

Example sentences

  1. The ruling party lost its majority after three MPs resigned.

  2. The amendment needs a two-thirds majority to pass.

Common collocations

  • absolute majority
  • simple majority
  • two-thirds majority
  • win a majority
  • lose its majority
  • coalitionAn arrangement in which two or more political parties agree to work together, especially to form a government when no single party has a majority.
  • minority governmentA government formed by a party or coalition that does not have a majority of seats in parliament and depends on support from other parties to pass laws.
  • voteA formal choice that a person makes in an election or meeting, for example by marking a ballot or raising a hand; also the act of deciding something in this way.
  • landslideAn election victory in which one candidate or party wins a very large number of votes or seats, far more than its rivals.
  • parliamentThe elected body of representatives that makes a country's laws, approves the budget and checks the work of the government.

More terms: Parliament and Legislation

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