English
minority
Minority comes from Late Latin minōritās ‘minority (age)’, and goes back to Latin minor.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEminor1
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEminōritās1‘minority’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600minorité1
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500minoritie1
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1603minority1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English minority
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: a. 1603, Francis Bacon: “And lest any man should think her intent was…”.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEminorWiktionary, English minority
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEminōritāsWiktionary, English minority‘minority’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600minoritéWiktionary, English minority
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500minoritieWiktionary, English minority
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1603minorityWiktionary, English minority. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: a. 1603, Francis Bacon: “And lest any man should think her intent was…”
Word family
English words that share an ancestor with minority, grouped by the ancestor they share, most familiar first.
through Latin minor
8 more relatives in the full family tree
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Today it means
noun The state or condition of being smaller, inferior, or subordinate to something or someone else; lesserness.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “minority”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Latin minor / minority