/mə'dʒɒrətɪ; [US] -'dʒɔ:r-; mə`dʒɔrətɪ/
n
1 [Gp] the greater number or part; most 大多数; 大半; 大多
*A/The majority of people seem to prefer TV to radio. 大部分人似乎喜欢看电视而不喜欢听收音机.
* The majority was/were in favour of the proposal. 多数人赞成这个建议.
* [attrib 作定语] majority opinion, rule 多数人的意见、多数裁定原则. Cf 参看 minority.
2 [C] ~ (over sb)
(a) number by which votes for one side exceed those for the other side 超过对方的票数
*She was elected by a majority of 3749. 她以超过对方3749票当选.
* They had a large majority over the other party at the last election. 在上次选举中他们以悬殊的票数击败了对方.
* The government does not have an overall majority, ie a majority over all other parties together. 政府没有获得（超过各党派票数的）总合多数票.
(b) (US) number by which votes for one candidate exceed those for all other candidates together 多数票（一候选人的选票超过其他候选人票数的总和）. Cf 参看 plurality 3.
3 [sing] legal age of full adulthood 成年的法定年龄
*The age of majority is eighteen. 成年的法定年龄是18岁.
* She reaches her majority next month. 她下个月就到成年年龄了.
4 (idm 习语) be in the/a majority form the greater part/the larger number 构成大部分[大多数]
*Among the members of the committee those who favour the proposed changes are in the majority. 委员中赞成提出修改意见的占大多数. the silent majority => silent.

npluralmajorities

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1【most people or things】
2【most votes】
3 majority vote/decision/verdict etc
4 majority stake/shareholding etc
5【becoming an adult】

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[Date: 1500-1600; Language: French;Origin: majorité, from Latin major; MAJOR¹]
【MOST PEOPLE OR THINGS】 [singular also + plural verb British English]
most of the people or things in a group
≠ minoritymajority of
　The majority of students find it quite hard to live on the amount of money they get.
great/vast/overwhelming majority of sth
(=almost all of a group)
　In the vast majority of cases the disease is fatal.
be in the majority
(=form the largest group)
　In this city, Muslims are in the majority.
→silent majority
【MOST VOTES】[C]
if one person or group wins a majority in an election, they win more votes than other people or groups
majority of 50/100 etc
　He won by a majority of 500.
　The Labour Party won a huge majority at the last general election.
clear/overall/absolute majority
(=a situation in which one party wins more votes in an election than all the other parties)
　The party won an absolute majority in Portugal in 1987.
small/narrow majority
　The government gained only a narrow majority, with 151 votes against 144.
Labour/Conservative etc majority
　The Labour majority was reduced to just 15 seats at the last election.
majority vote/decision/verdict etc
a vote or decision in which more people vote for something than vote against it
　The committee usually takes decisions by majority vote.
　The jury found him guilty by a majority verdict.
majority stake/shareholding etc
when one person or group owns a bigger share of a company than other people or groups and so is able to control what happens to the company
　Alex Golding held a majority shareholding in Golding plc.
【BECOMING AN ADULT】[U]
BrE law the age when someone legally becomes an adult
≠ minority
reach majority/the age of majority
　He became a partner in the family firm on reaching his majority.