a majority of individuals

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a majority of individuals" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the opinions, behaviors, or characteristics of a larger group of people. Example: "In the recent survey, a majority of individuals expressed their support for the new policy changes."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

51 human-written examples

In both populations, a majority of individuals rejected familiar and palatable foods when contaminating items touched the food but were subsequently removed.

Evolution and Human Behavior

Aware that a majority of individuals living with fetal alcohol syndrome also fight mental illness, his parents feared impending schizophrenia or psychosis.

The New York Times - Magazine

A majority of individuals displayed high site fidelity, with 81% of recapture events occurring within 100 m of their initial capture locations, and only 9 individuals (.03%) recaptured greater than 1 km.

Fisheries Research

"For example, if a majority of individuals shave their beard, then most hipsters will want to grow a beard, and if this trend propagates to a majority of the population, it will lead to new, synchronized, switch to shaving," says Touboul.

MIT Technology Review

Apart from therapeutic discovery, the study of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has been focused on two challenges: why do a majority of individuals recover with little concern, while a considerable proportion suffer with persistent and often debilitating symptomology; and, how do mild injuries significantly increase risk for an early-onset neurodegeneration?

Neuroscience

Our results reveal that popular individuals are indeed happier and that a majority of individuals experience a significant Happiness paradox.

EPJ Data Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

9 human-written examples

That David should gain a majority of individual members' votes was not surprising in view of his almost universal media support.

The Guardian

This, combined with our knowledge that consumers rarely adjust the default settings, means that a few companies have implicit control over a majority of individual users' privacy settings.

Harvard University

He also argues that a majority of individual investors should put their money into mutual funds that have the latitude to move money around the world and aren't limited to certain regions.

The New York Times

A majority of individual prosecutions appear to involve people of relatively limited means who are in smaller or privately held companies or who are officials in foreign companies based outside the United States, where there is little likelihood of a conviction.

The New York Times

Moreover, a Yahoo! official told me that her company has retained a majority of individual user emails, since 1997, and has no plans to throw them out.

HuffPost

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing for a general audience, consider using the simpler phrase "most people" instead of "a majority of individuals" for better readability.

Common error

Avoid using "a majority of individuals" in very informal contexts. Opt for simpler alternatives like "most people" to maintain a natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a majority of individuals" functions as a determiner phrase followed by a noun phrase. It typically introduces a statement about a group where more than half of its members share a particular characteristic or opinion. As Ludwig AI confirms, this is a correct and usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

68%

News & Media

16%

Academia

6%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Formal & Business

2%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a majority of individuals" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression in English, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It's most appropriate for formal writing, particularly in scientific, academic, and news contexts. While it effectively conveys that more than half of a group shares a common trait, simpler alternatives like "most people" can be more suitable for informal settings. When aiming for precision and clarity in your writing, "a majority of individuals" is a reliable choice. Consider audience and context to choose an appropriate level of formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

most people

Simplifies the phrase to a more common expression.

the majority of people

Replaces "individuals" with the more common "people".

most individuals

Omits the article "a" for a slightly more concise phrasing.

a significant number of people

Replaces "majority" with "significant number" and "individuals" with "people", slightly softening the claim.

a large segment of individuals

Substitutes "majority" with "large segment", emphasizing a considerable portion.

a considerable portion of individuals

Uses "considerable portion" instead of "majority" to denote a substantial amount.

a substantial fraction of individuals

Replaces "majority" with "substantial fraction", adding a touch of formality.

the greater part of individuals

Uses "greater part" instead of "majority", slightly archaic but conveys the same meaning.

a good many individuals

Offers a more informal alternative using "good many" in place of "majority".

the bulk of individuals

Substitutes "majority" with "bulk" to highlight the size of the group.

FAQs

What's the difference between "a majority of individuals" and "most people"?

"A majority of individuals" is more formal and precise, suitable for academic or professional writing. "Most people" is more common and casual, better for general conversation or informal writing. The two are often interchangeable, but the level of formality should be considered.

Is it okay to use "a majority of individuals" in everyday conversation?

While grammatically correct, "a majority of individuals" might sound overly formal in casual conversation. Alternatives like "most people" or "most individuals" are often more appropriate.

Can I use "a majority of persons" instead of "a majority of individuals"?

While grammatically correct, "a majority of persons" sounds very formal and somewhat archaic. Sticking with "a majority of individuals" or "most people" is generally preferred in modern English.

When is it best to use "a majority of individuals"?

Use "a majority of individuals" in situations where precision and formality are important, such as in research papers, legal documents, or formal reports. It's suitable when you need to emphasize that you're referring to individual members of a group, rather than the group as a whole.