more than half

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "more than half" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when you want express that something is greater than 50 percent. For example: "More than half of the students in my class failed the final exam."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Science & Research

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

More than half?

The New York Times - Magazine

More than half were married.

The New York Times

Now they make up more than half.

The Economist

"Got petrol?" "More than half a tank".

The New Yorker

More than half are over age 60.

The New York Times

More than half requested employment assistance.

The New York Times

More than half lost their masts.

The Economist

They fuel more than half our G.D.P.

The New York Times

"And he was more than half drunk.

The New Yorker

More than half of the building voted.

The New York Times

More than half have American citizenship.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "more than half", ensure the context clearly defines what the 'whole' is, to avoid ambiguity. For example, specify "More than half of the students" rather than just "More than half".

Common error

Avoid using "more than half" when precision is crucial. If the exact percentage or number is known, it's better to provide that information instead of generalizing with "more than half".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "more than half" functions as a determiner that modifies a noun, indicating that a quantity or proportion exceeds fifty percent. Ludwig provides numerous examples across diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

46%

Formal & Business

19%

Science & Research

12%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Science

4%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "more than half" is a versatile and frequently used quantifier in English, indicating a proportion greater than 50%. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and suitable for various contexts, from news reports to formal business documents. While alternatives like "over half" or "a majority of" exist, "more than half" provides a straightforward and easily understood way to express that a quantity exceeds the halfway point. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by specifying the 'whole' to which it refers.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

over half

Simplified version of the original phrase.

over 50 percent

Uses a percentage instead of a fraction.

more than 50%

Uses the percentage symbol rather than spelling out "percent".

a majority of

Emphasizes dominance rather than a precise quantity.

most of

A simpler way to indicate the greater part.

the greater part of

More formal and emphasizes the substantial portion.

a good proportion of

Indicates a notable, but not necessarily precisely quantified, amount.

in excess of half

More emphatic about exceeding the halfway point.

above half

A more concise, though less common, alternative.

at least half plus some

Emphasizes that the quantity is definitively more than just half.

FAQs

How do I use "more than half" in a sentence?

Use "more than half" to indicate a quantity or proportion greater than 50%. For example, "More than half of the survey respondents agreed with the proposal."

What's a simpler way to say "more than half"?

You could use "over half" or "a majority of" depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it more accurate to say "more than half" or "over 50 percent"?

Both "more than half" and "over 50 percent" are generally accurate, but "over 50 percent" provides a more precise numerical reference.

When should I avoid using "more than half"?

Avoid using "more than half" in situations where specific numbers or exact percentages are known and more relevant to the context.