minority

Universal Words noun (plural minorities) 1 [sing.+sing./pl.v.] the smaller part of a group; less than half of the people or things in a large group: Only a small minority of students is / are interested in politics these days. * For a minority, the decision was a disappointment. * minority shareholders in the bank OPPMAJORITY 2 [C] a small group within a community or country that is different because of race, religion, language, etc: the rights of ethnic / racial minorities * minority languages * a large German-speaking minority in the east of the country * (AmE) The school is 95 per cent minority (= 95 per cent of children are not white Americans but from different racial groups). * (AmE) minority neighborhoods (= where no or few white people live) 3 (law) the state of being under the age at which you are legally an adult: When his minority ended he had to fight to reclaim his property. IDIOMS be in a / the minority to form much less than half of a large group: Men are in the minority in this profession. be in a minority of one (often humorous) to be the only person to have a particular opinion or to vote a particular way