minority opinions
Unpopular held beliefs
Minority opinions are views held by fewer people than the prevailing position.
In law, a minority opinion (or dissent) is written by judges who disagree with the court's majority ruling: Justice Harlan's minority opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson proved prophetic.
More broadly, the phrase describes any stance outside mainstream consensus: Minority opinions sometimes become majority views over time.
- dissentDisagreement with authority
- dissenting voiceOne expressing disagreement publicly
- unpopularNot liked by many
- outlierDistant data point
- contrarianChronic majority-opposer
devil's advocate · fringe · heterodox · maverick · underdog · protest · disagreement · objection · skeptic · rebel · unconventional · out of step · niche · alternative · marginalized · silenced · outvoted · resistance
- court rulingsrulings, divorce decree, judgments, annulment, verdicts
minority opinionsmajority opinions
Decisions backed by most judges
popular opinion · consensus · conventional wisdom · general consensus · public opinion