多数 (duō shù) literally combines 多 (duō, 'many' or 'more') and 数 (shù, 'number' or 'count'), forming a noun meaning 'the majority' — that is, more than half of a group or quantity. It refers to the larger portion in a comparison or distribution, often implying statistical dominance or general prevalence.

This word is commonly used in formal, academic, journalistic, or everyday spoken contexts when discussing opinions, demographics, outcomes, or trends — for example, '多数人支持这个政策' (The majority of people support this policy). Unlike the quantifier '大多数' (dà duō shù), which requires a noun (e.g., 大多数学生), 多数 can stand alone as a noun ('多数赞成') or function attributively with 的 ('多数意见'). It carries neutral register and does not imply value judgment — it simply denotes numerical preponderance.