simple majority
Americannoun
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less than half of the total votes cast but more than the minimum required to win, as when there are more than two candidates or choices.
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less than half the number of voters registered.
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.
Warsh needs to secure simple majority votes from the committee and the whole Senate.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026
Until now, a guilty verdict could be returned through a simple majority - eight votes out of 15.
From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025
Honduran presidential elections are determined in one round, with a simple majority needed to win.
From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025
The vote, which required a simple majority, failed 48-52.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025
Everyone knew, however, that Chicago was still 38 votes shy of the simple majority needed to win the fair.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
