minority
Part of speech: noun
adj
Morphological type: derivation
Topics: government
human-sciences
politics
sciences
social-science
sociology
Etymology: From Late Middle English minoritie, from Middle French minorité, and its source Late Latin minōritās, from Latin minor. Morphologically minor + -ity.
Base: minor
Affixes: -ity
Inflected forms:
form: minorities
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: more minority
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most minority
pos: adj
tags: superlative
Senses:
gloss: The state or condition of being smaller, inferior, or subordinate to something or someone else; lesserness.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: The state of being a minor; youth, the period of a person's life prior to reaching adulthood.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: 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.
She also played a key role as dowager-regent during the minority of her son.
gloss: Any subgroup that does not form a numerical majority.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Most people agreed, but a sizable minority were upset by the decision.
Chuhsiung was in the heart of Yi country. The Yi made up the largest minority in Yunnan, with over three million members as of 1990. And their biggest concentration was in the mountains around Chuhsiung.
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.
gloss: A member of an ethnic minority.
pos: noun
tags: US
countable
uncountable
examples: The company claims it has hired several minorities since the complaint was lodged.
gloss: A group of people seen as distinct who are subordinated and discriminated against in a society.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: 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
gloss: A Muslim.
pos: noun
tags: India
countable
euphemistic
uncountable
gloss: Of or relating to a minority.
pos: adj
tags: attributive
relational
examples: They hold a minority interest in the company.
gloss: Empowered by or representing a minority (usually a plurality) of votes cast, legislative seats, etc., rather than an outright majority thereof.
pos: adj
tags: attributive
usually
examples: minority government
Related words: minor
quantifier
Derived words: antiminority
ethnic minority
gender minority
invisible minority
majority-minority
minoritarian
minoritary
minoritize
minority cabinet
minority council
minority dominance
minority domination
minority government
minority group
minorityhood
minority language
minority leader
minority report
minority rule
model minority
nonminority
sexual minority
subminority
superminority
visible minority
vocal minority
Translations: