majorité

See also: majorite, Majorite, and mâjorité

French

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin māiōritās. By surface analysis, majeur +‎ -ité.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.ʒɔ.ʁi.te/

• Audio:

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Noun

majorité f (plural majorités)

1. majority

   Synonym: la plupart

   Antonym: minorité

   majorité absolue ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   majorité qualifiée ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   La majorité des citoyens luxembourgeois ont pour langue maternelle le luxembourgeois.

   The majority of Luxembourg's citizens have Luxembourgish as their native language.

   On pense que la majorité des Céphéides classiques pulsent selon le mode fondamental, bien qu’il ne soit pas facile de distinguer le mode d’après la forme de la courbe de lumière.

   It is thought that most classical Cepheids pulsate in the fundamental mode, although it is not easy to distinguish the mode from the shape of the light curve.

2. adulthood, age of majority

   majorité sexuelle ― age of consent (literally, “sexual adulthood”)

Usage notes

While its near synonym la plupart defers grammatical agreement of verbs, adjectives, etc. to the noun to which it is related, majorité allows agreement with its related nominal or with itself. Each option carries its own nuance of meaning.

Derived terms

• majoritaire

Further reading

• “majorité”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• mijotera