the majority of the data

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "the majority of the data" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a large amount of data that can be characterized as a majority. For example: "The majority of the data collected from the survey revealed that most respondents had a positive experience."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Because no one was expecting the meteor, the majority of the data collected is thanks to our species' narcissistic tendencies.

The New Yorker

More than half of the UK's universities are seeing drops in their international faculty ratio score, and it is important to note that the majority of the data used for this year's rankings was sourced pre-Brexit.

The Guardian

Some doctors' groups complained that the scheme, while valuable, was poorly understood and badly explained by NHS England, which has said the majority of the data would be anonymised or made impossible for patients to be identified.

The Guardian

"The majority of the data sessions involved minor data exchanges caused by software built into their phones; others involved accessing the Web, which should not have incurred charges.

The New York Times - Tech

As illustrated in Table 2, the majority of the data stores studied use asynchronous replication.

Journal of Cloud Computing

The majority of the data are drawn from the adult population.

Critical Ultrasound Journal

The majority of the data used for this experiment was collected by Tang et al. [40].

Journal of Big Data

Nucleic acid sequencing always contributed the majority of the data in all the approaches here summarized.

Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture

In Figure 7, the majority of the data has come from social media sources, primarily blogs.

Security Informatics

This can be guaranteed for the majority of the data symbols, since they are derived by sparse data.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

From Fig. 4d, it is evident that the majority of the data lie below the (C_{text{sm}}^) = 1.0 line.

International Journal of Advanced Structural Engineering

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "the majority of the data", ensure that the context clearly defines the dataset being referred to. For example, specify the source or collection method.

Common error

Be mindful that "the majority" does not always imply a percentage greater than 50%. It simply means 'more than any other single part'. If precision is important, provide the exact percentage or numerical value.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "the majority of the data" functions as a determiner phrase, specifying a particular portion of a dataset. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a correct phrase. This phrase often acts as a subject or object in a sentence, indicating what the main part of the information shows or supports.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

58%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "the majority of the data" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase to denote that a significant portion of a dataset supports a particular conclusion. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this phrase is usable in written English. It's most frequently encountered in scientific and news contexts. While it is acceptable, be mindful of the specific percentage, providing more precise figures when necessary, especially if the majority is slim. Alternatives such as "most of the data" or "the bulk of the data" may be used depending on the intended nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

most of the data

This alternative is a direct synonym, replacing "majority" with "most" for conciseness.

the bulk of the data

This alternative emphasizes the large size of the data portion being referenced.

a large portion of the data

This alternative uses a more descriptive term to characterize the size of the data.

the greater part of the data

This option is more formal, swapping "majority" with "greater part".

the predominant data

This alternative suggests that the data is dominant or prevalent.

the principal data

This phrase highlights the main or primary part of the data.

the largest segment of the data

This alternative breaks down the data into segments and refers to the biggest one.

the main body of the data

This option focuses on the main or central part of the dataset.

the lion's share of the data

This is an idiomatic alternative emphasizing the significant portion.

the better part of the data

This option emphasizes that data exceeds than the half of the dataset.

FAQs

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

You can use "the majority of the data" to indicate that most of the information collected supports a certain conclusion. For example: "The majority of the data indicates a positive correlation between exercise and mental health."

What are some alternatives to saying "the majority of the data"?

Alternatives include "most of the data", "the bulk of the data", or "a large portion of the data". The choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it always accurate to use "the majority of the data"?

While generally acceptable, using "the majority of the data" can be misleading if the majority is very slim (e.g., 51%). In such cases, consider providing specific figures to avoid overstating the conclusion or use alternatives like "a slight majority".

What does "the majority of the data" imply about the remaining data?

"The majority of the data" implies that there is a significant portion supporting a particular finding, but it also acknowledges that there are other data points that may deviate. It's important to consider the context and report any significant outliers or conflicting information.