minorities
Less numerous populations
Minorities are groups that make up less than half of a larger population.
The term typically refers to racial, ethnic, or religious groups that are numerically smaller than the dominant group in a society: Minorities are underrepresented in corporate leadership.
The word can also describe any smaller faction: a minority of voters.
Though originally about numbers, minority often implies reduced power or status regardless of actual population size—hence South African blacks were called a minority under apartheid despite being the majority.
Shared cultural heritage group
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- cultureCollective social practices
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
language · ancestry · community · diaspora · homeland · indigenous · folklore · cuisine
State of fitting in
- acceptanceConsent to receive
- participationAct of taking part
- mainstreamingIncluding in standard settings
- accessibilityEase of approach
integration · empowerment · solidarity · allyship · visibility · voice · engagement · accommodation
Preformed unfavorable opinion
- racismPrejudice based on ethnicity
- bigotryIntolerance toward differing views
- xenophobiaHatred of outsiders
- marginalizationRelegation to powerless periphery
stereotyping · bias · segregation · exclusion · oppression · profiling · scapegoating · othering
Coexistence of diverse traditions
- pluralismCoexistence of differing views
- demographicsStatistical population characteristics
- mosaicInlaid pictorial arrangement
- tapestryDecorative woven wall cloth
coexistence · integration · multiracial · cross-cultural · intercultural · melting-pot · cosmopolitan · assimilation
Mandated numerical limits
- parityState of being equal
- redressCompensation for injury
- disparitiesUnequal differences in condition
- opportunityFavorable circumstance for advancement
accessibility · equal-opportunity · representation · underrepresentation · reparations · upliftment
Direct effort for reform
- lobbyingAdvocating to decision-makers
- organizationsStructured groups with purpose
- NAACPCivil rights advocacy organization
- ACLUAdvocacy group for constitutional protections
grassroots · coalition · mobilization · protest · demonstration · campaigns · allies · spokespersons
Personal rights limiting government
- anti-discriminationOpposing unfair differential treatment
- enfranchisementGranting citizenship rights
- desegregationEnding enforced group separation
- emancipationRelease from legal bondage
ethnicity
Shared cultural heritage group
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- cultureCollective social practices
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
customs · language · ancestry · community · diaspora · homeland · indigenous · folklore · cuisine · religion
belonging
State of fitting in
- acceptanceConsent to receive
- participationAct of taking part
- mainstreamingIncluding in standard settings
accessibility · integration · empowerment · solidarity · allyship · visibility · voice · engagement · accommodation · welcoming
prejudice
Preformed unfavorable opinion
- racismPrejudice based on ethnicity
- bigotryIntolerance toward differing views
- xenophobiaHatred of outsiders
marginalization · stereotyping · bias · segregation · exclusion · oppression · profiling · scapegoating · othering · microaggressions
multiculturalism
Coexistence of diverse traditions
- pluralismCoexistence of differing views
- demographicsStatistical population characteristics
- mosaicInlaid pictorial arrangement
tapestry · coexistence · integration · multiracial · cross-cultural · intercultural · melting-pot · cosmopolitan · assimilation · variety
quotas
Mandated numerical limits
- parityState of being equal
- redressCompensation for injury
- disparitiesUnequal differences in condition
opportunity · accessibility · equal-opportunity · representation · underrepresentation · reparations · upliftment
activism
Direct effort for reform
- lobbyingAdvocating to decision-makers
- organizationsStructured groups with purpose
- NAACPCivil rights advocacy organization
ACLU · grassroots · coalition · mobilization · protest · demonstration · campaigns · allies · spokespersons · leaders
civil-liberties
Personal rights limiting government
- anti-discriminationOpposing unfair differential treatment
- enfranchisementGranting citizenship rights
- desegregationEnding enforced group separation
- populationspatients, inpatients, outpatients, elderly patients, stroke patients
- international lawinternational law, treaty, treaties, conventions, protocols
- social historyeveryday life, social class, social movements, working class, middle class
- BalkansAlbania, Bosnia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Kosovo
- racerace, racial identity, racial classification, ethnicity, biracial
- YunnanKunming, Dali, Shangri-La, rice noodles, tea plantations
minoritiesmajorities
Greater parts of totals
plurality · preponderance · bulk · mass
minoritiesruling class
Dominant governing stratum
elites · oppressors · colonizers · establishment · insiders
- ethnic minoritiesNon-majority cultural groups
- racial minoritiesGroups outnumbered by dominant ethnicity
- religious minoritiesNon-majority belief communities
- model minoritiesStereotype of high-achieving ethnic groups
- sexual minoritiesNon-heterosexual or non-cisgender groups
- Muslim minoritiesAdherents of Islam outnumbered locally
minor, minus, majority, minimize, minority, minuscule, minutiae, minimalist, minimalism