minority
/maɪˈnɒrəti/ (bre, ipa) · /maɪˈnɔːrəti/ (ame, ipa) · /mə-ˈnȯr-ə-tē mī-, -ˈnär-/ (ame, mw)
minority — noun
1. the numerically smaller portion of a group — for instance, when under half the m
the numerically smaller portion of a group — for instance, when under half the members share a view or belong to a certain category
Only a minority of students voted to extend the school day.
a minority of + plural noun for 'less than half'
Girls currently make up a small minority of the engineering students at the university.
make up a minority of + noun
Although the proposal received strong support, it was backed by a minority of board members.
The party's decision was opposed by a vocal minority of its own members.
In most classrooms, left-handed children are in the minority.
- smaller portion
more neutral; used for both countable and uncountable quantities
- handful
informal; suggests a very small number
- less than half
descriptive phrase that avoids the noun form
文法句型
a minority of + noun
be in the minority
常見錯誤
2. a segment of a society whose race, religion, language, or culture sets them apar
a segment of a society whose race, religion, language, or culture sets them apart from the mainstream population — often resulting in unequal treatment or limited access to opportunities
Taiwan's new employment programme offers training and job placements for ethnic minorities, including many Indigenous workers in rural towns.
ethnic minorities — most common compound noun
Adisa joined a student group that supports minority voices on campus.
minority + noun as modifier
Schools in the area offer special programs for children from linguistic minorities.
The museum opened an exhibition celebrating the art of the country's minority cultures.
Laws were passed to protect minority communities from discrimination in housing and employment.
- ethnic group
specifically about shared race, culture, or nationality
- marginalized group
emphasizes disadvantage or exclusion from power
- cultural group
broader; may not imply numerical smallness
- majority group
the dominant or largest group in a society
- mainstream
the prevailing cultural or social norm
文法句型
ethnic/racial/religious + minority
minority + group/community
用法筆記
In Taiwan, this sense often appears in phrases like 族群 (zúqún) or 少數族群 (shǎoshù zúqún). When referring to individuals, 'person of minority background' or 'member of a minority group' sounds more natural than calling someone 'a minority.'
常見錯誤
3. the legal condition or time during which a person is too young to have the full
the legal condition or time during which a person is too young to have the full rights and responsibilities of an adult, such as voting or signing contracts
Christopher managed his daughter's inheritance through a court-approved trust during her minority, as required by Ontario law.
during + possessive + minority
Japanese law says minority ends at eighteen, when a person can sign a lease alone.
period of minority
The court appointed trustees to manage the estate until the children reached the end of their minority at twenty-one.
A guardian handled the child's legal affairs throughout his minority.
文法句型
during (someone's) minority
period of minority
用法筆記
This sense is almost exclusively used in formal legal or historical writing. In everyday conversation, speakers use 'being a minor' or 'being underage' instead.
常見錯誤
4. a group, political party, or opinion that receives fewer votes than the oppositi
a group, political party, or opinion that receives fewer votes than the opposition in an election or decision-making process
The minority in Congress tried to block the bill through procedural delays.
the minority — the losing party in a legislative body
Although the committee voted twelve to four, the minority filed a strong dissenting opinion.
After losing the general election, the Liberal Party became the minority in Canada's House of Commons.
The city council voted down the housing plan, but a minority of three councillors argued for a public hearing.
- opposition
the group that is against a proposal or ruling party
- losing side
descriptive; neutral in tone
- dissenters
individuals who hold a different opinion
- majority
the group with the most votes
- winning side
the side that prevails in the vote
- ruling party
the political party in power after an election
文法句型
the minority + noun
be in the minority
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 refers to numbers alone ('a minority of the class'), while sense 4 specifically describes the losing side in a vote or election where a decision is made by counting ballots.