overwhelming majority

USAGE SUMMARY

"overwhelming majority" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to denote a large majority or portion, often of a seemingly unbeatable extent. For example, one could say, "An overwhelming majority of voters favored the proposal."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Neither is an overwhelming majority.

The New York Times

An overwhelming majority did.

The Guardian

By an overwhelming majority.

The Guardian

The overwhelming majority decline.

The Washington Post

The overwhelming majority are ethnic Albanians.

The Economist

The overwhelming majority of Omanis are Muslims.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The overwhelming majority of them were civilians.

Independent

The overwhelming majority do not succeed.

The New Yorker

You do this by overwhelming majority.

The New York Times

The overwhelming majority were wrong.

The Guardian - Sport

This is hardly an overwhelming majority.

University of California, Berkeley

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "overwhelming majority" to emphasize the size and impact of the majority group. This phrase can add weight to your argument or description, making it clear that the majority is not just significant, but also decisive.

Common error

Don't overuse "overwhelming majority" when a simple "majority" suffices. Overusing the phrase dilutes its impact. Reserve "overwhelming majority" for situations where the difference is truly significant and impactful, rather than just slightly over 50%.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "overwhelming majority" functions as a determiner followed by a noun. It modifies the noun "majority", specifying that the majority is large and impactful. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this is a correct and usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

25%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "overwhelming majority" is a commonly used and grammatically correct phrase that emphasizes the significant size and impact of a majority. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it functions as a determiner followed by a noun, and its communicative purpose is to highlight the dominance of a particular group or viewpoint. While the phrase can be used across various registers, it maintains a generally neutral tone, making it suitable for formal and informal contexts. When using "overwhelming majority", it's important to ensure that the situation warrants the strong emphasis the phrase provides, reserving it for cases where the difference is truly substantial.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Vast majority

Replaces "overwhelming" with "vast", emphasizing the large extent of the majority.

Substantial majority

Substitutes "overwhelming" with "substantial", focusing on the significant size of the majority.

Large majority

Uses "large" instead of "overwhelming", providing a simpler way to convey a similar meaning.

Significant majority

Replaces "overwhelming" with "significant", highlighting the importance of the majority.

Predominant majority

Substitutes "overwhelming" with "predominant", emphasizing the dominance of the majority.

Clear majority

Indicates that there is no doubt about who holds majority.

Decisive majority

Highlights how the side with majority makes definite decisions.

Overwhelming proportion

Switches "majority" to "proportion", offering a slight variation in phrasing while maintaining the core meaning.

Resounding majority

Adds emphasis to the majority with the word "resounding".

Overwhelming victory

Implies that the group with majority won.

FAQs

How can I use "overwhelming majority" in a sentence?

You can use "overwhelming majority" to describe a situation where a large number of people agree on something. For example, "The "overwhelming majority" of voters supported the new law".

What's the difference between "overwhelming majority" and "majority"?

"Majority" simply means more than half, while "overwhelming majority" indicates a significantly larger proportion. The "overwhelming majority" suggests a near-unanimous agreement or preference.

What can I say instead of "overwhelming majority"?

You can use alternatives like "vast majority", "substantial majority", or "significant majority" depending on the specific context.

Is it appropriate to use "overwhelming majority" in formal writing?

Yes, "overwhelming majority" is appropriate for formal writing. It is commonly used in news articles, academic papers, and business reports to describe situations where a large proportion of people or things share a characteristic or opinion.