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The greater number; more than half; as, a majority of mankind; a majority of the votes cast.

which amounts to an acquittal and remission of his punishment. Halifax was absolved by a majority of fourteen. Macaulay.

crease and ascertain the condemnation. Jer. Taylor. The ministry, in order to ascertain a majority . . . persuaded the queen to create twelve new peers. Smollett. The mildness and precision of their laws ascertained the rule and measure of taxation. Gibbon.

Mere; alone; unaccompanied by anything else; as, a bare majority. "The bare necessaries of life." Addison. Nor are men prevailed upon by bare of naked truth. South. Under bare poles (Naut.), having no sail set.

The main mass or body; the largest or principal portion; the majority; as, the bulk of a debt. The bulk of the people must labor, Burke told them, "to obtain what by labor can be obtained." J. Morley.

es, and to appoint bishops and priests of like race and speaking the same language as the majority of the members of a diocese or congregation. This plan was successfully opposed by the American party in the Church.

The majority or bulk of mankind. [Obs.] Hooker.

to the government, or state; -- usually applied to a minority, but it may be applied to a majority; a combination or clique of partisans of any kind, acting for their own interests, especially if greedy, clamorous, and reckless of the common good.

constituted, in whole or in part. The diplomatic politicians . . . who formed by far the majority. Burke.

or complete. Shak. -- Full age (Law) the age at which one attains full personal rights; majority; -- in England and the United States the age of 21 years. Abbott. -- Full and by (Naut.), sailing closehauled, having all the sails full, and lying as near the wind as poesible. -- Full band (Mus.), a band in which all…

oppressive white rule will be removed by the higher powers. The religion spread through a majority of the western tribes of the United States, only in the case of the Sioux, owing to local causes, leading to an outbreak.

of lands. Lawful age, the age when the law recognizes one's right of independent action; majority; -- generally the age of twenty-one years.

The populace; the common people; the majority of people, or of a community. After him the rascal many ran. Spenser.

The smaller number; -- opposed to Ant: majority; as, the minority must be ruled by the majority.

the like; as, a moderate Calvinist. A number of moderate members managed ... to obtain a majority in a thin house. Swift.

ecial reference to some peril or misfortune; as, a narrow shot; a narrow escape; a narrow majority. Dryden.

riests of St. Paul the Apostle, founded in 1858 by the Rev. I. T. Hecker of New York. The majority of the members were formerly Protestants.

The greater number; a majority; also, the greatest of several numbers; in elections, the excess of the votes given for one candidate over those given for another, or for any other, candidate. When there are more than two candidates, the one who receives the plurality of votes may have less than a majority. See Majority…

choices) between two or more candidates for an office, so that if no candidate receives a majority of first choices the one receiving the greatest number of first and second choices together in nominated or elected.

A proposition adopted by a majority of votes; especially, one adopted by vote of the Athenian people; a statute. J. P. Mahaffy.