2
general::
majority
verbs
have/hold a majority
• The Democratic party has a majority in the Senate.
win a majority
• The Conservative Party won a large majority.
secure a majority
(= win a majority )
• They failed to secure a majority.
get/gain/receive a majority
• If no one gets an overall majority, the vote is repeated.
command a majority
(= have a majority )
• They were one seat short of being able to command a majority in parliament.
increase a majority
(= get more votes than you had before )
• Labour increased its majority in the area.
lose a majority
• The Republicans lost their narrow majority in Congress at the midterm elections.
retain a majority
formal (= keep a majority )
• They were able to retain an absolute majority of seats.
defend a majority
(= try not to lose it )
• He is defending a majority of 400 against his Labour opponent.
overturn a majority
(= win a majority that previously belonged to someone else )
• She hoped to overturn a Tory majority of 2,221.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + majority
a large majority
• Parliament voted by a large majority in favour of the ban.
a huge majority
(= a very big majority )
• Gone are the days of huge majorities and easy victories.
a small majority
• Their small majority made them worried about winning the next election.
a slim/narrow majority
(= a very small majority )
• The proposal was passed by a slim majority.
an overall majority
(= more votes than anyone else )
• What happens if no candidate receives an overall majority?
an overwhelming majority
(= a large majority )
• The resolution was passed by an overwhelming majority.
an absolute/outright/clear majority
(= a majority that has been won by more than half the votes )
• There was no party with an absolute majority in the House of Commons.
a simple majority
(= a majority that has been won by most of the votes )
• A simple majority of the people at the meeting were in favour of the changes.
a two-thirds/2:1/three to one etc majority
• A two-thirds majority in both Houses of Congress is needed to overturn a presidential veto.
a Labour/Democratic/Tory etc majority
• Republican majorities were elected in both Houses of Congress that year.
a parliamentary majority
(= one that has enough seats in parliament to control it )
• Labour increased its parliamentary majority.
majority + NOUN
a majority vote
• The majority vote carries the resolution.
the majority party
(= the party with the most seats in a parliament )
• At that time, Labour was the majority party in Parliament.
majority support
(= votes or support given by the most number of people )
• a solution that will command majority support in the House
transnet.ir
3
general::
noun most ADJ. big, great, huge, overwhelming, substantial, vast | silent The march was by the silent majority who oppose terrorism. VERB + MAJORITY comprise, constitute, form, make up English speakers form the majority of the population. MAJORITY + NOUN culture, group, population | opinion, view | shareholder | stake The French company holds a majority stake in the retail chain. PREP. in the ~ In the general population, right-handed people are in the majority. PHRASES in the majority of cases In the vast majority of cases, customers get their money back. in an election ADJ. handsome, huge, large, massive, overwhelming, substantial | clear, comfortable, decisive | bare, narrow, slender, slight, slim, small, tiny, wafer-thin | ten-seat, three-to-one, two-thirds, etc. | absolute, outright, overall Although they are the biggest single party, they don't have an outright majority. | simple | decreased, increased | working the first Labour government with a clear working majority in the House | parliamentary | government | Conservative, Labour, etc. | necessary, requisite VERB + MAJORITY command, have | achieve, gain, get, secure, win They failed to win the requisite two-thirds majority. | defend, maintain, retain | lose | overturn | indicate, show MAJORITY + NOUN government, rule | party | decision | vote, voting | support PREP. by a ~ They won by a huge majority. | ~ against Latest opinion polls have a comfortable majority against the reform. | ~ in a majority in Parliament | ~ in favour of Opinion polls indicated a two-thirds majority in favour of ratification of the treaty. | ~ over He has a decisive majority over his main rivals.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary