Størstedelen

Størstedelen is a Danish noun meaning the larger part or the majority of something. It refers to the portion of a quantity or group that is larger than the rest, typically more than half. The term is commonly used in statistics, politics, journalism, and everyday speech to signal that a substantial and often decisive part is involved. It is closely related to, but slightly more formal than, de fleste and majoriteten.

In usage, størstedelen is usually accompanied by a prepositional phrase to indicate what the majority concerns. The standard construction is størstedelen af + [noun], for example størstedelen af befolkningen (the majority of the population) or størstedelen af dataene (the majority of the data). The word can function as the subject of a sentence: Størstedelen af tallene viser en stigning (The majority of the numbers show an increase). It can also appear in predicates referring to a group’s stance or behavior: Størstedelen stemte ja (The majority voted yes).

Etymologically, the word is a compound formed from stor (big) and del (part), with the definite form størstedelen used in most written and formal contexts. The indefinite singular form is en størstedel, though in practice this form is less common and usage frequently appears in constructions with af to specify the group being described.

See also: majoritet, de fleste, minority.