relative majority

noun

1. the excess of votes or seats won by the winner of an election over the runner-up when no candidate or party has more than 50 per cent Compare absolute majority

Example Sentences

Hitler once claimed that 37% represented 75% of 51%, i.e., that he had the relative majority of the absolute majority, and leveraged that to great effect, cooperating, sidelining or crushing right-wing challengers.

From Salon

“Was this part of the compromise that was needed, with a relative majority, to move forward?” he said.

From New York Times

In recent legislative elections, Petro’s political movement obtained 20 seats in the Senate, a relative majority, but he would still have to make concessions in negotiations with other parties.

From Seattle Times

“We have accepted the proposal of the Five Star Movement, as they are the relative majority, to name the prime minister,” he said.

From New York Times

Regardless of what party wins the relative majority in the upcoming elections, little is likely to change in the dynamic of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

From Salon