minority

English Online Dictionary. What means minority‎? What does minority mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle French minorité, and its source Late Latin minōritās, from Latin minor.

Morphologically minor +‎ -ity

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /maɪˈnɒɹ.ɪ.ti/, /mɪˈnɒɹ.ɪ.ti/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /maɪˈnɔɹ.ɪ.ti/, /mɪˈnɔɹ.ɪ.ti/, /maɪˈnɔɹ.ə.ti/
• (New York City) IPA^(key): /maɪˈnɑɹ.ɪ.ti/, /mɪˈnɑɹ.ɪ.ti/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /mɑɪˈnɔɹ.ə.ti/
• Rhymes: -ɒɹɪti

Noun

minority (countable and uncountable, plural minorities)

1. The state of being a minor; youth, the period of a person's life prior to reaching adulthood. [from 15th c.]

   Synonym: childhood

   Antonym: adulthood

2. Any subgroup that does not form a numerical majority. [from 18th c.]
   • 2017 August 25, "Arrest threat as Yingluck Shinawatra misses verdict", in aljazeera.com, Al Jazeera

     The case is the latest chapter in a decade-long struggle by the nation's elite minority to crush the powerful political machine founded by Yingluck's brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in another coup in 2006.

   Antonym: majority

3. (US) A member of an ethnic minority. [from 20th c.]

4. (sociology) A group of people seen as distinct who are subordinated and discriminated against in a society.
5. (India, euphemistic) A Muslim.

Derived terms

Related terms

• minor

Translations

Adjective

minority (comparative more minority, superlative most minority)

1. (relational, attributive) Of or relating to a minority.

2. (attributive, politics, of a party, government, etc.) Empowered by or representing a minority (usually a plurality) of votes cast, legislative seats, etc., rather than an outright majority thereof.

   minority government

Translations

See also

• Thesaurus:quantifier

Further reading

• “minority”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “minority”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.