majoritairement

Majoritairement is a French adverb meaning mainly, for the most part, or predominantly. It is used to indicate that a large portion of a set shares a certain characteristic or that a situation applies to the majority, without specifying an exact percentage. The term is common in formal and informal language, including statistics, journalism, and political discourse. Examples: La population est majoritairement féminine. Le quartier est majoritairement résidentiel. La proposition a été majoritairement approuvée lors du vote.

Etymology and nuance: majoritairement derives from the adjective majoritaire, itself from majorité, meaning the majority. The adverb is formed by adding -ment. Compared with synonyms like principalement or essentiellement, majoritairement emphasizes the predominance of a majority rather than exclusivity or primary cause. It implies that while there may be exceptions, the described feature characterizes the larger part of the group or dataset.

Usage and registers: in descriptive writing, research, and reporting, majoritairement signals a prevailing tendency. It can modify nouns or adjectives, as in « une foule majoritairement jeune » or « une opinion majoritairement favorable ». In translation, it is typically rendered as mostly or predominantly, depending on context. Note that it does not convey precise quantification; the exact share may vary and exceptions can exist.