1.  minority(n = noun.group) - a group of people who differ racially or politically from a larger group of which it is a part;
is a kind of social group

2.  minority(n = noun.attribute) - being or relating to the smaller in number of two parts; "when the vote was taken they were in the minority"; "he held a minority position"
is a kind of figure, number
Antonym: majority
Derived form adjective minor₃

3.  minority(n = noun.time) nonage - any age prior to the legal age;
is a kind of legal status, age, eld
Antonym: majority
Derived form adjective minor₅

1.  The state of being a minor, or under age. [1913 Webster]

2.  State of being less or small. Sir T. Browne. [1913 Webster]

3.  The smaller number; -- opposed to majority; as, the minority must be ruled by the majority. [1913 Webster]

4.  Those members of a legislature that belong to the political party which is in the minority in that institution; as, the bill will pass even if the minority are strongly opposed. [PJC]

minority, n. (pl. -ies)
1 (often foll. by of) a smaller number or part, esp. within a political party or structure.
2 the number of votes cast for this (a minority of two).
3 the state of having less than half the votes or of being supported by less than half of the body of opinion (in the minority).
4 a relatively small group of people differing from others in the society of which they are a part in race, religion, language, political persuasion, etc.
5 (attrib.) relating to or done by the minority (minority interests).
6 a the state of being under full legal age. b the period of this.

Etymology:
F minorit{eacute} or med.L minoritas f. L minor: see MINOR

N  inferiority, minority, subordinacy, shortcoming, deficiency, minimum, smallness, imperfection, lower quality, lower worth, commonalty, inferior, smaller, small, minor, less, lesser, deficient, minus, lower, subordinate, secondary, secondrate, sub, subaltern, thrown into the shade, weighed in the balance and found wanting, not fit to hold a candle to, can't hold a candle to, least, smallest &c (little) (small), lowest, diminished, reduced, unimportant, less, under the mark, below the mark, below par, at the bottom of the scale, at a low ebb, at a disadvantage, short of, under.

N  fewness, paucity, small number, small quantity, rarity, infrequency, handful, maniple, minority, exiguity, reduction, weeding, elimination, sarculation, decimation, eradication, few, scant, scanty, thin, rare, scattered, thinly scattered, spotty, few and far between, exiguous, infrequent, rari nantes, hardly any, scarcely any, to be counted on one's fingers, reduced, unrepeated, rarely, here and there.

N  youth, juvenility, juvenescence, juniority, infancy, babyhood, childhood, boyhood, girlhood, youthhood, incunabula, minority, nonage, teens, tender age, bloom, cradle, nursery, leading strings, pupilage, puberty, pucelage, prime of life, flower of life, springtide of life, seedtime of life, golden season of life, heyday of youth, school days, rising generation, young, youthful, juvenile, green, callow, budding, sappy, puisne, beardless, under age, in one's teens, in statu pupillari, younger, junior, hebetic, unfledged, youth on the prow and pleasure at the helm, youth a the glad season of life.

ethnic minority, minority group, minority leader, minority opinion