(1)少数(人，席，票)(smaller number of forming a whole or less than half，esp of people voting or vote seats)[C，Gp，通常sing]：Only a small～of students is majoring in a basic subject.仅少数学生主修一门基础课。Only a tiny～of people are causing the violence. 仅有少数人制造暴力。The～doesn't have a chance in this election.在这次选举中少数人没有机会。Ten of them have had only a～of the popular vote behind them.他们中有10人只得到少数票的支持。～interests 少数人利益;a～report/vote/opinion少数人报告/少数选票/少数人的意见;〖反〗majority;

(2)少数派(指民族，政党等)(group of people regarded as different from the larger population because of race，religion，politics，etc)[C]：the religious/racial/ethnic～ies 少数教徒/人种/民族;political/evicted～ies政治上的/被驱逐的少数派;Black people are a～in the United States.黑人在美国是少数民族。～races/groups/members/languages 少数民族/小团体/少数派成员/少数民族语言;a～government少数派政府;～rule少数人统治;～rights 少数人的权利;〖反〗majority;

(3)未成年(state or period of being under legal age)[U]：an heir still in his～仍未成年的继承人;He will inherit the money when he has passed his～.到法定年龄后他将继承这笔财产。〖同〗boyhood，girlhood;

be in a/the minority 是(占，属)少数：Women are in a tiny～in this country. 女性在这国家里人数很少。Artistic people are in a pitiful～at the meeting. 与会的艺术家居少数。 Such persons are in the～.这样的人居少数。

【注意】minority为集合名词作主语时，谓语动词数的使用参见AUDIENCE。