flertalet

Flertalet is a Swedish noun meaning the majority or the larger part of a group. It refers to the portion that is larger than half or constitutes the greater share of a whole. The term is commonly used in statistics, politics, law and everyday speech to indicate which side or segment dominates. In contrast, the word minoritet denotes the opposite.

Grammatically, flertal is a neuter noun. Its indefinite form is ett flertal, and its definite form is flertalet, which is used when speaking of a specific majority, as in flertalet av befolkningen. The phrase flertalet av is a common construction to specify the subset being referred to. The expression is flexible enough to appear in formal writing and in media discourse.

Usage notes and nuance: flertalet is often paired with av to specify a subset, and it can occur in phrases like i flertalet fall (“in the majority of cases”). While synonyms such as majoritet are widely understood, flertalet can carry a nuance of emphasizing the larger portion within a defined group and is common in statistical descriptions, political analysis and public discussion.

Origin and related terms: the term is formed from flertal, itself a compound of fler- meaning many and tal meaning number, with the definite suffix -et. Cognate forms exist in other Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian, reflecting shared Germanic roots. See also majoritet and minoritet for related concepts.