Majority: Difference between revisions
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⚫ | A '''majority''', also called a '''simple majority''' or '''absolute majority''' to distinguish it from |
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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). |
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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. |
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. |
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⚫ | A '''majority''', also called a '''simple majority''' or '''absolute majority''' to distinguish it from 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> A "majority" means, literally, "more than half". Compare this with [[plurality]], which means "the largest number of the group". For example, if a group consists of 9 individuals, a majority would be 5 or more individuals, while having 4 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 (also sometimes called "50%+1"), since exactly 50% is only a plurality.See [[plurality]] for more. |
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*'''relative majority''' usually means "plurality" |
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*'''"relative majority"''' is not a true majority. This is a [[Plurality|'''plurality''']]. |
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*a '''supermajority''' is a fraction of the voters between half and all (e.g. 2/3) |
*a '''supermajority''' is a fraction of the voters between half and all (e.g. 2/3) |
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*'''consensus''' usually means complete agreement or "all voters" |
*'''consensus''' usually means complete agreement or "all voters" |