silent majority
Unheard mass consensus
Silent majority refers to a large segment of the population whose views are presumed moderate or traditional but who don't actively voice them.
The phrase implies these quiet citizens outnumber vocal activists and would prevail if they spoke up.
Politicians invoke the silent majority to claim broad support beyond visible constituencies: Nixon appealed to the silent majority.
The term often carries conservative connotations, positioning ordinary people against protesters or elites.
37th U.S. president
- conservatismPreference for existing institutions
- swing votersUncommitted potential voters
- Middle AmericaGeographic and cultural center
- heartlandCentral region of significance
centrists · moderates · suburbanites · blue-collar · working-class · middle-class · traditionalists · establishment
General group agreement
- mainstreamDominant cultural current
- social normsShared behavioral expectations
- cultural normsSociety's accepted behaviors
- conventionalFollowing accepted practices
orthodoxy · dominant culture · public opinion · groupthink · herd mentality · go-along · acquiescence · compliance
Having no voice
- unspokenNot verbally expressed
- unheardNot perceived aurally
- unexpressedNot communicated outwardly
- tacitUnderstood without words
implicit · subdued · undeclared · reserved · reticent · restrained · withheld · unacknowledged
Pushed to society's edges
- disenfranchisedDeprived of voting rights
- underrepresentedInsufficiently present in proportion
- invisibleCannot be seen
- forgottenNo longer recalled
neglected · ignored · sidelined · undercounted · flyover country · rural · small-town · ordinary people
Nixon
37th U.S. president
- conservatismPreference for existing institutions
- swing votersUncommitted potential voters
- Middle AmericaGeographic and cultural center
heartland · centrists · moderates · suburbanites · blue-collar · working-class · middle-class · traditionalists · establishment · status quo
consensus
General group agreement
- mainstreamDominant cultural current
- social normsShared behavioral expectations
- cultural normsSociety's accepted behaviors
conventional · orthodoxy · dominant culture · public opinion · groupthink · herd mentality · go-along · acquiescence · compliance · unquestioning
voiceless
Having no voice
- unspokenNot verbally expressed
- unheardNot perceived aurally
- unexpressedNot communicated outwardly
tacit · implicit · subdued · undeclared · reserved · reticent · restrained · withheld · unacknowledged · sotto voce
marginalized
Pushed to society's edges
- disenfranchisedDeprived of voting rights
- underrepresentedInsufficiently present in proportion
- invisibleCannot be seen
forgotten · neglected · ignored · sidelined · undercounted · flyover country · rural · small-town · ordinary people · common folk
- public opinionpublic opinion, public sentiment, polls, poll, approval
- populismpopulism, demagogue, demagoguery, anti-elitism, anti-establishment
- propagandapropaganda, brainwashing, disinformation, misinformation, indoctrination
- conformityconformity, conforming, conform, conformist, conformism
- Everymanaverage Joe, everyman, common man, regular Joe, regular guy
- geopoliticsbalance of power, bipolarity, bloc, blocs, brinkmanship
silent majorityprotesters
Those publicly opposing something
activists · demonstrators · protest movement · agitators · rabble-rousers
silent majorityfringe groups
minority faction · lunatic fringe · special interests · extremists · the few
silent majorityactivists
People working for causes
political activists · grassroots organizers · community organizers · agitators · rabble-rousers
major, silence, silent, majority, silently, minority, silenced, minors, majors