the majority suffer vs the majority suffers

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'The majority suffer' is used when referring to a plural group of people experiencing something, while 'the majority suffers' is used when referring to a singular entity representing the majority. The choice between 'suffer' and 'suffers' depends on whether you are treating the majority as a collective plural or a singular unit.

Last updated: March 29, 2024 • 1744 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used when referring to a plural group of people experiencing something.

"the majority suffer"

This phrase is used when talking about a group of people who are the majority and are collectively experiencing something. 'Suffer' is used to indicate that the majority as a whole is affected.

Examples:

The majority suffer from poverty in that region.
The majority suffer from lack of access to healthcare.
The majority suffer from discrimination in society.

Show examples from the web [+]

Sadly the great majority will suffer losses, including Poland - until recently the EU's third largest food producer, which in the past could have fed its population twice over.
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THEM SUFFER FROM DIAGNOSED MENTAL DISORDERS. Reid: AND THEY'RE USUALLY MALES,
Women who have suffered violence - and a majority suffer in silence - and their children need to have the confidence to report attacks, secure in the knowledge that they will be provided with effective support.
The majority will just continue to suffer.
Over 500 million people in the world suffer from a disability, and the majority of them live in developing countries.
It is estimated that 7.3 million Europeans suffer from different forms of dementia, the majority of cases being Alzheimer's disease.
They have to suffer the consequences of what is decided by the majority in this Chamber.
Furthermore, in Europe the majority of these workers belong to communities which, as in the case of immigrants, suffer from repeated discrimination.
Animal testing of cosmetics is a moral issue upon which the majority of EU citizens have expressed the opinion that animals should not suffer in order to develop new 'vanity' products.
Women are in the majority in this section of the population, and are therefore most likely to suffer from such conditions.
Immigration to Europe helps only a minority and often a quite random minority, while the majority of people in the immigrants' home countries continues to suffer under existing conditions.
Given the fact that the majority of EU Member States still have abundant amounts of food, it would really be inhumane if our citizens had to suffer, or even die, because of hunger.
We all perfectly understand that the majority of airports work under natural monopoly conditions and they inevitably get into interest conflicts and the users, i.e., the airlines, may suffer for this.
This would give hope to the world's poor, who will suffer most from climate change and the majority of whom are women.
In the majority of cases, these women suffer a series of humiliations, beginning with the promise of work in a European Union Member State.
Yet we do believe that whatever the majority that emerges from Members' votes, the employees of the European Parliament, officials and others, must not be made to suffer in any way from this decision, and in particular must not have their salaries reduced.
This fishing zone's coastal trawling fleet of 93 vessels, the majority of which come from Galicia, will suffer the serious socio-economic impact of this unfounded cut which will lead to the early closure of fisheries.
Consultants from North Tyrol suffer clear discrimination in South Tyrol, even though they have studied at the same university as the majority of their colleagues from South Tyrol, i.e. the University of Innsbruck (North Tyrol).
The majority of the population are traditional subsistence societies.
My conscience stands with the majority.

Alternatives:

Most of them suffer
The majority of people suffer
The majority are suffering
The majority experience suffering
The majority face hardships

This phrase is correct and commonly used when referring to a singular entity representing the majority.

"the majority suffers"

This phrase is used when treating the majority as a singular unit or entity. 'Suffers' is used to indicate that the majority, as a whole, is experiencing something.

Examples:

The majority suffers from a lack of representation.
The majority suffers from a lack of resources.
The majority suffers from neglect.

Show examples from the web [+]

Sadly the great majority will suffer losses, including Poland - until recently the EU's third largest food producer, which in the past could have fed its population twice over.
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THEM SUFFER FROM DIAGNOSED MENTAL DISORDERS. Reid: AND THEY'RE USUALLY MALES,
Women who have suffered violence - and a majority suffer in silence - and their children need to have the confidence to report attacks, secure in the knowledge that they will be provided with effective support.
The majority will just continue to suffer.
Over 500 million people in the world suffer from a disability, and the majority of them live in developing countries.
It is estimated that 7.3 million Europeans suffer from different forms of dementia, the majority of cases being Alzheimer's disease.
They have to suffer the consequences of what is decided by the majority in this Chamber.
Furthermore, in Europe the majority of these workers belong to communities which, as in the case of immigrants, suffer from repeated discrimination.
Animal testing of cosmetics is a moral issue upon which the majority of EU citizens have expressed the opinion that animals should not suffer in order to develop new 'vanity' products.
Women are in the majority in this section of the population, and are therefore most likely to suffer from such conditions.
Immigration to Europe helps only a minority and often a quite random minority, while the majority of people in the immigrants' home countries continues to suffer under existing conditions.
Given the fact that the majority of EU Member States still have abundant amounts of food, it would really be inhumane if our citizens had to suffer, or even die, because of hunger.
We all perfectly understand that the majority of airports work under natural monopoly conditions and they inevitably get into interest conflicts and the users, i.e., the airlines, may suffer for this.
This would give hope to the world's poor, who will suffer most from climate change and the majority of whom are women.
In the majority of cases, these women suffer a series of humiliations, beginning with the promise of work in a European Union Member State.
Yet we do believe that whatever the majority that emerges from Members' votes, the employees of the European Parliament, officials and others, must not be made to suffer in any way from this decision, and in particular must not have their salaries reduced.
This fishing zone's coastal trawling fleet of 93 vessels, the majority of which come from Galicia, will suffer the serious socio-economic impact of this unfounded cut which will lead to the early closure of fisheries.
Consultants from North Tyrol suffer clear discrimination in South Tyrol, even though they have studied at the same university as the majority of their colleagues from South Tyrol, i.e. the University of Innsbruck (North Tyrol).
The majority of the population are traditional subsistence societies.
My conscience stands with the majority.

Alternatives:

The majority is suffering
The majority is experiencing suffering
The majority is facing hardships
The majority is affected
The majority is enduring

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the majority suffer vs the majority suffers