What does "minority" mean?
The state or condition of being smaller, inferior, or subordinate to something or someone else; lesserness.
Minority
/maɪˈnɒɹ.ɪ.ti/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The state or condition of being smaller, inferior, or subordinate to something or someone else; lesserness.
- Grammar: minority is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: a small number, back seat, bai, callowness.
- Useful contrasts: dominant share, entire population, great majority.
- Usage evidence: The chairman should take the minority opinion into account.
How to use "minority"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "minority" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "minority" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "minority" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "minority" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "minority" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a small number" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "minority", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The state or condition of being smaller, inferior, or subordinate to something or someone else; lesserness. countable, uncountable
- 2 being or relating to the smaller in number of two parts wordnet
- 3 The state of being a minor; youth, the period of a person's life prior to reaching adulthood. countable, uncountable
"And lest any man should think her intent was to unnestle ill neighbours, and not to aid good neighbours, or that she was readier to restore what was invaded by others than to render what was in her own hands; see if the time provided not a new occasion afterwards, when through their own division, without the intermise of strangers, her forces were again sought and required; she forsook them not, prevailed so far as to be possessed of the castle of Edinburgh, the principal strength of that kingdom, with peace, incontinently, without cunctations or cavillations, the preambles of a wavering faith, she rendered with all honour and security; and his person to safe and faithful hands; and so ever after during his minority continued his principal guardian and protector."
- 4 a group of people who differ racially or politically from a larger group of which it is a part wordnet
- 5 Any subgroup that does not form a numerical majority. countable, uncountable
"Most people agreed, but a sizable minority were upset by the decision."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 any age prior to the legal age wordnet
- 7 A member of an ethnic minority. US, countable, uncountable
"The company claims it has hired several minorities since the complaint was lodged."
- 8 A group of people seen as distinct who are subordinated and discriminated against in a society. countable, uncountable
"But we have seen that one important difference between women and other minorities is that women's attitudes and self-conceptions are conditioned more largely by interaction with both minority and dominant group members"
- 9 A Muslim. India, countable, euphemistic, uncountable
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to a minority. attributive, relational
"They hold a minority interest in the company."
- 2 Empowered by or representing a minority (usually a plurality) of votes cast, legislative seats, etc., rather than an outright majority thereof. attributive, usually
"minority government"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
dominant shareentire populationgreat majoritygreatest part
Example
"The chairman should take the minority opinion into account."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "minority"?
Common synonyms include: a small number, back seat, bai, callowness, childhood, dewiness.
How do you use "minority" in a sentence?
The chairman should take the minority opinion into account.
How do you pronounce "minority"?
Pronounced /maɪˈnɒɹ.ɪ.ti/.
Etymology
From Late Middle English minoritie, from Middle French minorité, and its source Late Latin minōritās, from Latin minor. Morphologically minor + -ity.