majoritarianism

American

[muh-jawr-i-tair-ee-uh-niz-uhm, -jor-] / məˌdʒɔr ɪˈtɛər i əˌnɪz əm, -ˌdʒɒr- /

noun

rule by a majority, especially the belief that those constituting a simple majority should make the rules for all members of a group, nation, etc.

Etymology

Origin of majoritarianism

First recorded in 1960–65; majoritarian + -ism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

majoritarianism

Democracy involves both majoritarianism — governance that is responsive to the people — and the rule of law — that everyone is accountable to the rules.

From Salon ● May 20, 2025

He dissipated the spectre of majoritarianism, ensuring that the riots did not permanently scar Bombay.

From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2021

Its inbuilt majoritarianism may offer a useful mechanism for resolving most issues.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 30, 2019

The framers of the Constitution, of course, deliberately constructed a government that would check raw majoritarianism.

From Slate ● Jun. 21, 2017

It wasn't Guinier who said that "democracy is trivialized when reduced to simple majoritarianism"; it was the conservative commentator George Will.

From Time Magazine Archive

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023