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Majority: Difference between revisions
Copied first few paragraphs of w:Majority (this version: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Majority&oldid=1107851583 )
(Copied first few paragraphs of w:Majority (this version: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Majority&oldid=1107851583 )) |
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{{Wikipedia}}
According to https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Majority&oldid=1107851583
<blockquote>
A '''majority''', also called a '''simple majority''' or '''absolute majority''' to distinguish it from [[#Related terms|related terms]], is more than half of the total.<ref name="majority-dictionaries">Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' at [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/majority Merriam-Webster], [https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/majority dictionary.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151221102100/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/majority |date=2015-12-21 }}, [https://web.archive.org/web/20130524150957/http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/majority Oxford English Dictionary], [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/majority thefreedictionary.com], and [http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/majority Cambridge English Dictionary].</ref> It is a [[subset]] of a [[Set (mathematics)|set]] consisting of more than half of the set's elements. For example, if a group consists of 20 individuals, a majority would be 11 or more individuals, while having 10 or fewer individuals would not constitute a majority. "Majority" can be used to specify the voting requirement, as in a "majority vote", which means more than half of the votes cast.
A majority can be compared to a [[Plurality (voting)|plurality]] (sometimes called ''relative majority''), which is a subset larger than any other subset but not necessarily larger than all other subsets combined, and not necessarily greater than half of the set. For example, if there is a group with 20 members which is divided into subgroups with 9, 6, and 5 members, then the 9-member group would be the plurality. A plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset considered may consist of less than half the set's elements. This can occur when there are three or more possible choices. The (absolute) majority is sometimes referred to as a "simple" majority, compared to a [[supermajority]] (a majority requirement above 50%, like a 2/3 requirement), however use of this term is inconsistent as it sometimes refers to a mere plurality (as opposed to an absolute majority).
In [[British English]] the term "majority" is also alternatively used to refer to the winning margin, i.e., the number of votes separating the first-place finisher from the second-place finisher. Other related terms containing the word "majority" have their own meanings, which may sometimes be inconsistent in usage.
</blockquote>
A '''majority''' means, literally, "more than half". Compare this with [[plurality]], which means "the most of the group". When applied to specific situations, majority can take on different meanings, depending on how you apply it:
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Note that no voting method can guarantee a candidate has "majority support" from an absolute majority of voters, since some voters may not have preferences between certain candidates. Thus, at most voting methods can elect candidates with support from a majority of voters with preferences.
See also: [[:Category:Majority rule-based voting methods|Category:Majority rule-based voting methods]].
[[Category:Voting theory]]
[[Category:Majority-related concepts|*]]
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