supermajority

noun

su·​per·​ma·​jor·​i·​ty ˈsü-pər-mə-ˌjȯr-ə-tē How to pronounce supermajority (audio)
-ˌjär-
plural supermajorities
: a majority (such as two-thirds or three-fifths) that is greater than a simple majority
treaty ratification requires a supermajority
Furthermore, it is about even money that soon after Congress convenes in January it will … approve a constitutional amendment to require supermajorities (three-fifths) in both houses of Congress to approve deficit spending.—George F. Will
The company, for instance, has a supermajority clause in its articles of incorporation; 80% of the shareholders must approve any sale or merger.—Joshua Hyatt

Examples of supermajority in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The supermajority allows Republicans to override a governor’s veto without any support from Democrats. — Jack Harvel august 19, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026 Ownership transfers in the NBA require a supermajority of at least three‑quarters (23) of the 30 NBA teams’ governors, and at some point this fall, the governors could vote on the Lakers sale. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Aug. 2026 The legislation appears to have a strong path to passage, with a more-than-two-thirds supermajority of co-sponsors in the 51-member council. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026 Ahead of a 2025 special election, Mississippi received $100,000, and Democrats won enough seats in the state senate to break a Republican supermajority. — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for supermajority

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supermajority was in 1915

Rhymes for supermajority

See All Rhymes for supermajority

Browse Nearby Words

supermacho
supermajority
supermale
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Supermajority.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supermajority. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Legal Definition

supermajority

noun
su·​per·​ma·​jor·​i·​ty ˈsü-pər-mə-ˌjȯr-ə-tē How to pronounce supermajority (audio)
: a large majority
a provision requiring a supermajority vote — say, 80 % of the common shares instead of the usual bare majority rule—R. C. Clark
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All