minoritynoun
uk/maɪˈnɒr.ə.ti/us/maɪˈnɔːr.ə.t̬i/minority noun (SMALL PART)
B2 [ S ] a smaller number or part:
It's only a tiny minority of people who are causing the problem.
Children with single parents at my school were very much in the minority (= there were very few).
This section of the bookstore caters for minority interests (= subjects that interest only a few people).
Opposite
majority
More examples
- Because the two main parties have won almost the same number of votes, the minority group holds the key to the result.
- The fact that a party can be voted into power by a minority of the electorate calls into question the country's electoral system.
- It's a minority of these people who are causing trouble.
- Those who want violence are in the minority.
- In a minority of cases, a prison sentence is appropriate.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Maximum and minimum
- (at) full stretch idiom
- at least idiom
- bare
- ceiling
- critical mass
- full
- limit
- majority
- mass
- max
- max out
- maximal
- min
- minimum
- most
- most
- outside
- peak
- the full monty
- utmost
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minority noun (PEOPLE)
C1 [ C ] any small group in society that is different from the rest because of their race, religion, or political beliefs, or a person who belongs to such a group:
ethnic/religious minorities
The plan was designed to help women and minorities overcome discrimination in the workplace.
More examples
- Government by majority rule can be a threat to minority rights.
- Human rights activists have accused the country's government of a systematic perpetration of violence against minority groups.
- Outraged minority groups will not be placated by promises of future improvements.
- They are members of a racial minority.
- What are the prospects for overcoming the strife between the Christian minority and Muslim majority?
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Groups of people
- alliance
- an
- assemblage
- band
- bee
- corps
- crop
- galaxy
- gang
- ginger group
- group
- grouping
- quarter
- stable
- threesome
- throng
- tribe
- triumvirate
- vintage
- wing
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Racial issues
Idiom(s)
be in a minority of one