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definitions

minority

[ mi-nawr-i-tee, -nor, -mahy- ]
/ mɪˈnɔr ɪ ti, -ˈnɒr, -maɪ- /
|

noun, plural mi·nor·i·ties.

adjective

of or relating to a minority.

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Nearby words

  1. minor-league,
  2. minor-leaguer,
  3. minorca,
  4. minorcan,
  5. minorite,
  6. minority carrier,
  7. minority group,
  8. minority leader,
  9. minos,
  10. minot
Compare majority-minority.

Origin of minority

From the Medieval Latin word minōritās, dating back to 1525–35. See minor, -ity
SYNONYMS FOR minority
6 childhood, boyhood, girlhood.
Related formsnon·mi·nor·i·ty, adjectivepro·mi·nor·i·ty, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for non-minority

minority

/ (maɪˈnɒrɪtɪ, mɪ-) /

noun plural -ties

the smaller in number of two parts, factions, or groups
a group that is different racially, politically, etc, from a larger group of which it is a part
  1. the state of being a minor
  2. the period during which a person is below legal ageCompare majority
(modifier) relating to or being a minoritya minority interest; a minority opinion

Word Origin for minority

C16: from Medieval Latin minōritās, from Latin minor
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for non-minority

minority

n.

1530s, "condition of being smaller," from Middle French minorité (15c.), or directly from Medieval Latin minoritatem (nominative minoritas), from Latin minor (see minor (adj.)). Meaning "state of being under legal age" is from 1540s; that of "smaller number or part" is from 1736. The meaning "group of people separated from the rest of a community by race, religion, language, etc." is from 1919, originally in an Eastern European context.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper