I was writing about the numbers of baccalaureate nursing programs that are accredited, versus associate degree, diploma and practical nurse programs. Approximately 78% of diploma programs, 56% of associate degree programs and 9% of practical nurse programs are accredited. We don't know the specific percentage of baccalaureate programs because there are two accreditors, and some programs are accredited by each. Therefore, there are more accredited programs than numbers of programs, if that makes sense.

So...in writing my report, I stated that "most" baccalaureate programs are accredited. My chair made me change it to the "majority." I'd say about 98% are accredited, but, as above, we don't have the specifics. Given that, I think "most" works a whole lot better than "majority." I think of "majority" as meaning more than 50% so I don't think "majority" was descriptive enough. What do you think?

To me the two expressions are synonyms. "The majority" means "most of".

Some people prefer "the majority" instead of "most" since it sounds clever, and I suspect that this is the reason why your editing team made the change.

I agree with Richard.

I agree. "The majority" is better here, especially if you can't give exact percentages. "Most" is too broad a term in this context, especially with small (<100 or thereabouts) samples. You don't say how many different programs and so on there are, but I assume they don't measure in the thousands.

We use statistics a lot at work, and below is a guide published for our own use - for use with large sample sizes only (in the tens of thousands or more).

97–100% Vast/overwhelming majority or almost all
80–96% Very large majority, most
65–79% Large majority
51–64% Majority
35–49% Minority
20–34% Small minority
4–19% Very small minority, few
0–3% Almost no/very few

Well, from your post, arnie, "majority" doesn't work, just as I thought. It should have been something like "vast majority."

And I disagree about "most" being too broad or that "majority" and "most" are synonymous. But I guess that was the point of my post, and I see not everyone agrees with me. I don't think I can be persuaded, though, that "most" and "majority" are the same.

I'll weigh in on your side in the cited instance, Kalleh, since the high percentage of accredited schools suggests a very large majority, and "most" doesn't convey that message to me. Simply saying "majority" doesn't make the difference, either, but adding a qualifier does, per arnie's example.

I've never seen that breakdown before, arnie. To me most and majority mean the same thing: 50% + 1. But your definitions make sense and give more precise meanings to the words.

I have asked some colleagues and family, and they agree with me on this. When I looked up the definition of "most" in dictionary.com, the first definition is: "In the greatest quantity, amount, measure, degree, or number: to win the most states." That clearly supports my position. Yet, the second definition is "the majority of instances: Most operations successful, which supports the rest of you. So, I am thinking arnie is right that "most" must be an ambiguous word. To me it means "the greatest quantity," but apparently not to most people.

In the instance I posted about, however, I think being ambiguous would be more accurate than using the word "majority." While 98% were accredited, I thought my changing the word from "most" to "majority" was just plain inaccurate.

Majority could mean just 51% while most would have to exceed that by a substantial amount.

One man's most is another man's majority.

The trouble with all of this is that while you may think of "majority" as "51%" and as "most" as "almost all" someone else may have the opposite opinion. The truth is that both words are commonly used by different people to mean either "51%" or "nearly all". Using either could lead to misunderstanding UNLESS you define your terms explicitly.

Yes, the words are inherently ambiguous. Unless you define them, as arnie has, they both just mean more than 50%; by how much is anyone's guess.

That's where we disagree, Tinman, though I see that some definitions agree with you, while others don't. To me, most means substantially more than 51%. Indeed, majority is more ambiguous to me than most is, as it can mean from 51-99%

However, you are correct that the actual numbers are the best. We just don't have them at this point, and we are trying to communicated that approximately 98% (though we don't want to name a number that might be wrong) of BSN programs are accredited. That we wrote majority, to me, is very misleading.

quote:

Originally posted by Kalleh:
... Tinman, though I see that some definitions agree with you, while others don't.

I don't understand that comment. Care to explain?

The main difference is that "majority" can be qualified, "most" can't.

So although "most" and "the majority" on their own mean the same to me, when you add descriptors such as small, large and overwhelming, means that a differebt shades of meaning can be conveyed.

But your original posting did not use any descriptors of majority.

Tinman, see my post above about the dictionary definitions. The first supported my side, while the second supported yours.

Richard, the whole issue was only about majority and most. Interestingly I had a meeting with the person who made me change it to majority tonight, and she recommended nearly all. That would work.

On the other hand, she didn't like the Swahili Proverb I included because she doesn't like the "their." She thought it should be "its," though she did agree with me that we can't edit a quote.

A boat doesn't go forward if each one is rowing their own way.

Life is just too short. I just shook my head and agreed with her.

quote:

A boat doesn't go forward if each one is rowing their own way.

Grammatically it should be "his or her". It would only be "its" if the rowers weren't human. The absence of a neutral singular posessive prounoun does cause difficulties in English and I suspect that, before too many years have elasped, "their" will fulfill that role - as the plural pronoun "you" now fulfills the role of the old singular "thou".

quote:

Originally posted by Richard English:
I suspect that, before too many years have elapsed, "their" will fulfill that role - as the plural pronoun

As it has already done for several hundred years.

English has been using genderless they with a singular antecedent since Chaucer's time. It occurs in the King James version of the Bible. See MWDEU, p.901. link for its history.)

Wow! I can't wait to show my colleague that link!

When she suggested "its," I realize that she must have thought the boat was rowing its own way, which is strange since the point was about "each one" rowing together.

quote:

"In the greatest quantity, amount, measure, degree, or number: to win the most states."

"the majority of instances: Most operations successful

Kalleh, I don't see how the first definition supports your view that "most means substantially more than 51%." In that example most states can mean just over half or almost all. If it's referring to a contest or political race with more than 2 contestants, most could be less than 50%. If there are 3 people in a race and 2 of them each win 30% of the states and the 3rd 40% you could say the 3rd candidate won most of the states.

Likewise with the example given with the second definition: Most operations successful. I still think the words are vague. I grant you the connotations may differ. but the denotations seem the same to me.

Well, this may be one of those times when we have to say, "Let's agree to disagree."

Here's what you did, Tinman. You leaped from the first definition in dictionary.com, which is "in the greatest amount..." and then analyzed the sentence that just happened to be about elections and extrapolated that to having more than two candidates. Let's keep it simple. If probably (but we aren't sure) more than 90% of programs are accredited, is that "most" or the "majority." To me, "most" works best.

"The greatest amount..." says it all to me, but apparently to few here.

I do agree, and have said it here, that numbers are the best. However, as I also said a few times here, we don't have the numbers in this situation. In this situation I think "most" is better than "majority" and no argument here has convinced me otherwise.

I guess the rest of you are right. I read this in a published paper today and thought they were crazy to consider 55% "most": "Most programs (55%) relied on ICPs for most of their community placements." I wonder what percent of their community placements that second "most" referred to.

Reviving a thread


Just tonight, Shu and I felt Joseph A. Banks was promoting a "bait and switch" scheme. Huge signs all over the store said, "70% off." In smaller letters were the words "most clothes." I said, "Well, 'most' means more than 50%; I learned that on WC." Shu strongly disagrees. He thinks "most" means "almost all" (as I had above). I am thinking this could be a regional difference in the definition.

In all fairness, clearly the majority of the clothes weren't on sale either. I imagine, if we pursued it, we could win a suit against them on false advertising or bait and switch.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,

It depends upon the surity level. The more sure you are, you can use most without any hitch. To quote an example, if out of 100 people, 40 are saying yes to a thing you can say majority because it isn't a very large number but say, if 80 or 90 people are agreeing, you are free to use mostly. If you are talking about 98 percent, go for most as its a more precise figure

"Majority" and "Most" both technically mean more than 50% but how they are used depends on who is doing the using.

The common man in the street generally takes them, as does shu, to mean "almost all".
Politicians apply a more flexible usage depending on what suits them. They will say "most" to mean "almost all", "more than half", or "more than half (of the three people we asked)" knowing perfectly well that a) ordinary people are likely to read it as meaning "Almost all (of the population)" and b) if called on it they will have a justification they can point at.

As for store advertising... well that's advertising, isn't it. It used to be common enough here to see things like

70% Off (Big red letters)

compared to price at Brent Cross branch during week ending November 27th (Tiny black letters)

British advertising laws (I'm no expert) probably don't allow that any more but bait and switch advertising can always find wordings that circumvent the laws.

I don't think U.S. law allows it, either.

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