the majority of items

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "the majority of items" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it in any situation when you want to express that most of a group of items belong to one category. For example, "The majority of items in the store were discounted."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"The majority of items are stolen because they are readily convertible to cash in the underworld".

The New York Times - Arts

"The majority of items, especially the more expensive ones, don't stay in the office," says one women's magazine gift guider.

The Guardian

Results: For the majority of items in the questionnaire, the replication of the item would lead to the same response on at least 95% of occasions.

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

While the majority of items are thought to be in storage somewhere, they have to be classified as "unallocated", if curators do not know exactly where they are.

The Telegraph

However, eBay says the majority of items sold on Half.com are textbooks.

TechCrunch

The sub-team went on to shine and managed to purchase the majority of items on the hotel list.

BBC

The majority of items were produced during the Cultural Revolution period, and celebrate or promote the ideals and persona of Mao Zedong.

Duke University

While the majority of items are still sold to local buyers who go to a house to pick the items up, opening up to outside buyers.

TechCrunch

The performed EFA suggests that the majority of items load on the appropriate dimensions under investigations, supporting the specification of the three different models (Table 5).

Agricultural and Food Economics

The majority of items listed are under $150, because great style does not have to lead to empty bank accounts.

Huffington Post

The majority of items sold in duty-free shops are products that are usually slapped with high taxes when sold in a country's regular stores.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing reports or analyses, use "the majority of items" to clearly indicate that more than half of the items in question share a particular characteristic or condition. For example, "The majority of items in the survey indicated a preference for option A."

Common error

Avoid using "the majority of items" when referring to non-countable nouns. It's more appropriate to use "most" or "the greater part of". For example, instead of "the majority of water", use "most of the water".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "the majority of items" functions as a determiner phrase followed by a noun phrase. It is typically used to specify that more than half of a group of items are being referenced. Ludwig provides numerous examples across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

48%

News & Media

39%

Formal & Business

13%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "the majority of items" is a versatile and grammatically correct phrase used to indicate that more than half of a group of items share a common attribute. According to Ludwig, this phrase is widely used across various contexts, including scientific research, news reporting, and business communications. While alternatives such as "most of the items" exist, "the majority of items" offers a clear and often more formal way to convey prevalence. Be mindful of using it with countable nouns and avoid it with non-countable nouns for grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

most of the items

Changes the phrasing to a simpler, more direct expression using 'most' instead of 'the majority'.

a large proportion of the items

Replaces 'majority' with 'large proportion', emphasizing the quantity involved.

the greater part of the items

Uses 'greater part' to convey a similar meaning, offering a slightly more formal tone.

most of the articles

Substitutes 'items' with 'articles', specifying a particular type of item while maintaining the overall meaning.

a significant number of items

Emphasizes the numerical significance of the items rather than just their proportion.

the bulk of the items

Replaces 'majority' with 'bulk', highlighting the substantial quantity or volume of the items.

the preponderance of the items

Uses 'preponderance' for a more formal and emphatic way of saying 'majority'.

the predominance of the items

Similar to 'preponderance', 'predominance' emphasizes the prevailing or dominant nature of the items.

a majority of the objects

Changes 'items' to 'objects', broadening the category to include physical things.

the largest share of items

Uses 'largest share' to focus on the comparative size of the group of items.

FAQs

How can I use "the majority of items" in a sentence?

Use "the majority of items" to indicate that more than half of the items within a specific group share a common characteristic or attribute. For example, "The majority of items on the list were under $20.

What phrases can I use instead of "the majority of items"?

Alternatives include "most of the items", "a large proportion of the items", or "the greater part of the items", depending on the specific context and desired level of formality.

Is it correct to say "the majority of item" instead of "the majority of items"?

No, it is not correct. "The majority" refers to more than half, which inherently implies a plural context. Therefore, you should always use the plural form, "the majority of items".

What is the difference between "the majority of items" and "most of the items"?

While both phrases indicate that more than half of the items are being referred to, "the majority of items" can sometimes carry a slightly more formal or precise connotation compared to "most of the items". The difference is often negligible, and they can be used interchangeably in many contexts.