a majority of students

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a majority of students" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used whenever you are referring to more than half of a particular group of students. For example: "A majority of students agreed that the school should offer more extracurricular activities."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

A majority of students (67%) were declared Pre-Health majors (i.e., Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Nursing, and a few others).

CBE Life Sciences Education

A majority of students will be placed in the Department of Biomedical Informatics.

Harvard University

Results show that a majority of students participated in learning activities within these public, non-mandatory spaces "beyond the classroom".

The Internet and Higher Education

A majority of students join it when they arrive at the university, but the majority of those rarely attend.

The Guardian

The district also has a number of low-income residents, with a majority of students qualifying for subsidized lunches.

The New York Times

But in most Nassau County districts, a majority of students are in the top two levels in English and math.

The New York Times

Meatpacking plants have attracted an influx of Latino workers, and in many rural schools a majority of students are Hispanic.

The New York Times

A majority of students disciplined had repeat offenses — eight on average over the study period of six years.

The Washington Post

And Mr. Bush did that today, visiting an elementary school where a majority of students did not speak English as a first language.

The New York Times

A majority of students, including high-school seniors, spend less than an hour a day during the five-day school week doing homework.

The New Yorker

The government has pointed out that a majority of students in Quebec have quietly finished their semester and are not striking.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a majority of students", ensure that the context clearly defines which group of students you are referring to. Be specific to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid overstating the implications of "a majority of students". Remember that a majority only means more than half. If the percentage is closer to 50%, it's misleading to imply a near-unanimous sentiment or action. Consider providing the exact percentage for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a majority of students" functions as a noun phrase that acts as the subject or object of a sentence. It indicates that more than half of the students within a specific group or context are being referred to. Ludwig AI confirms the correctness and usability of this phrase.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

41%

Science

38%

Academia

11%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a majority of students" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase to indicate that more than half of a group of students shares a particular attribute. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is acceptable and versatile across different registers. It's frequently found in academic, news, and scientific sources, serving to quantify student opinions or behaviors. While highly versatile, remember to always use this term in a clear context defining the specific group of students you are referencing and be aware of how you are interpreting the statistic. Alternatives like "most students" or "more than half of the students" can be used depending on the desired level of formality and context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

most students

Uses a simpler word to indicate the greatest portion. Changes the determiner and omits "of".

over half of the students

Provides a more precise numerical indication.

the greater number of students

Replaces "a majority" with a more formal phrase.

more than 50% of students

Expresses the concept with a specific percentage.

the majority of the student body

Uses "student body" to refer to all the students in a school or college.

the bulk of students

Employs "bulk" to suggest the main part or mass.

a large proportion of students

Substitutes "majority" with "large proportion" to convey a similar meaning.

most of the student population

Uses "population" to give a different nuance in emphasis.

a significant number of students

Focuses on the quantity being substantial, not necessarily more than half.

the predominant part of students

Replaces majority with predominant, adding formal register.

FAQs

How do I use "a majority of students" in a sentence?

You can use "a majority of students" to indicate that more than half of a particular group of students share a characteristic, opinion, or behavior. For example, "A majority of students prefer online resources to textbooks."

What can I say instead of "a majority of students"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "most students", "the greater number of students", or "more than half of the students".

Is it more accurate to say "a majority of students" or "the majority of students"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct. "A majority of students" implies a general statement about student populations, while "the majority of students" often refers to a specific group or context.

What is the difference between "a majority of students" and "a large number of students"?

"A majority of students" indicates that more than 50% of students are being referred to. "A large number of students" simply means that many students are being referred to, but not necessarily more than half.