# minority

Pronunciation: say "my-NOR-i-tee" US /maɪˈnɔɹ.ɪ.ti/, UK /maɪˈnɒɹ.ɪ.ti/; AUS say "my-NOR-uh-tee" /mɑɪˈnɔɹ.ə.ti/

## Noun

1. A subgroup that forms less than half of a total, fewer in number than the rest of the group.
   - Simple: The smaller part of a group, fewer than half of the people.
   - _A vocal minority opposed the new policy, but most members supported it._
   - _Women remain a minority in many engineering departments._
2. A person who is a member of an ethnic group smaller in number than the dominant one in a society. *(US)*
   - Simple: A person who belongs to a smaller racial or ethnic group in a country.
   - _The hiring committee made an effort to recruit more minorities._
   - _He was the only minority on the board for years._
3. A socially distinct group that holds less power and faces discrimination within a larger society.
   - Simple: A group of people who are treated unfairly and given less power than others in society.
   - _Sociologists study how a minority maintains its identity under pressure from the dominant culture._
   - _Throughout history, minorities have organized to demand equal rights._
6. The period of a person's life before reaching adulthood; the legal state of being a minor.
   - Simple: The time of someone's life before they become a legal adult.
   - _Guardians administered the property until the heir's minority ended._
   - _During her minority, decisions about her future were made by her uncle._
7. In India, a polite and indirect way of referring to a Muslim. *(India)*
   - Simple: In India, a polite word for a Muslim.
   - _Minorities from the old city lined up at the Haj office to hand in their pilgrimage forms._
   - _As a minority, he observed Ramadan with his family each year._

## Adjective

4. Relating to or characteristic of a group that forms a minority within a larger population.
   - Simple: Belonging to or about a smaller group within a larger one.
   - _The festival highlights minority music traditions from across the region._
   - _Minority neighborhoods were often overlooked in city planning._
5. Holding power through, or representing, less than half of the votes cast or seats held, often a plurality rather than an outright majority.
   - Simple: Having power from less than half of the votes or seats, not a full majority.
   - _The minority government relied on smaller parties to pass its budget._
   - _A minority faction controlled the committee despite winning fewer seats overall._

## Origin

From Middle French minorité and its source Late Latin minōritās, from Latin minor. It is formed from minor plus the suffix -ity.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/minority (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).