different between many vs majority

English

Alternative forms

• manie (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English many, mani, moni, from Old English mani?, moni?, mane? (“many”), from Proto-West Germanic *manag, from Proto-Germanic *managaz (“some, much, many”).

The noun is from Middle English manye, *menye, from Old English manigeo, menigu (“company, multitude, host”), from Proto-Germanic *manag?, *manag?? (“multitude”), from the same root as the determiner. Cognate with Middle Low German menige, menie, menje (“multitude”), Russian ????? (mnogo).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?m?ni/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?m?ni/
  • Rhymes: -?ni
  • (pin–pen merger) IPA^(key): /?m?ni/
    • Homophone: mini (pin-pen merger)
• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /?mæni/
  • Rhymes: -æni
• Hyphenation: ma?ny

Determiner

many (comparative more, superlative most)

1. An indefinite large number of.

   • Thou shalt be a father of many nations.

   • The big houses, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line, which seems to have shown some ingenuity in avoiding them, […].
2. (in combinations such as 'as many', 'so many', 'this many') Used to indicate, demonstrate or compare the number of people or things.

   We don't need this many bananas. Put some back.

   There may be as many as ten million species of insect.

   I don't have as many friends as my sister does.

Usage notes

• Many is used only with the plural of countable nouns (except in the combination many a). Its counterpart used with uncountable nouns is much. Many and much merge in the comparative and superlative forms, which are more and most for both determiners.

• It was once common to use the indefinite article with many (very a many years ago), as it still is with few (a few good men). However, this has fallen out of favor except in formations such as "a great/good many."

Synonyms

• a lot of

Antonyms

• few

Derived terms

Translations

Pronoun

many

1. An indefinite large number of people or things.
   • 1611 – King James Version of the Bible, Luke 1:1

     Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us...

Antonyms

• few

Derived terms

• many-to-many
• one-to-many

Related terms

• how many
• many a
• so many

Translations

Noun

many (plural (rare) manies)

1. A multitude; a great aggregate; a mass of people; the generality; the common herd.

2. A considerable number.

   A good many (of the elders) had been tone-deaf for a good many years.

   • 2005, Florence Dyer, A Mother's Cry!: Touches the Very Heart of God (page 22)

     I know that my mother cried a many of times from decisions I made.

Synonyms

• (multitude): crowd, mob; see also Thesaurus:commonalty
• (considerable number): abundance, buttload, deal; see also Thesaurus:lot

Translations

Adjective

many (comparative more, superlative most)

1. Existing in large number; numerous.

Synonyms

• multiple, several; see also Thesaurus:manifold

References

• many at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• MYAN, Myan., myna

Maricopa

Pronoun

many

1. (personal) you

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /m??d?????ti/
• (US) IPA^(key): /m??d?????ti/, /m??d?????ti/
• Rhymes: -???ti

Etymology

From Middle French maiorité, from Medieval Latin m?i?rit?tem, accusative of Latin m?i?rit?s, from Latin m?i?r (“greater”).

Morphologically major +? -ity

Noun

majority (countable and uncountable, plural majorities)

1. More than half (50%) of some group.
2. The difference between the winning vote and the rest of the votes.

3. (dated) Legal adulthood, age of majority.

4. (Britain) The office held by a member of the armed forces in the rank of major.

5. Ancestors; ancestry.

Usage notes

• Majority in the sense of "more than half" is used with countable nouns only; for example, "The majority of the members of the committee were in favour of the motion." While common in colloquial speech, it is often considered incorrect to use majority with uncountable nouns, as in "The majority of the time was wasted." In the latter case, it is preferable to use expressions such as "the larger part of" or "most of" instead of the "the majority of."

Antonyms

• (more than half): minority

Hyponyms

Derived terms

• dictatorship of the majority
• go over to the majority
• join the majority
• majority leader
• majority rule
• supermajority
• tyranny of the majority

Related terms

• major
• plurality

See also

• most

Translations