'少数民族' (shǎo shù mín zú) literally means 'small-number people group' — combining 少 (shǎo, 'few'), 数 (shù, 'number'), 民 (mín, 'people' or 'ethnic group'), and 族 (zú, 'clan' or 'ethnicity'). Together, it refers to any of China’s 55 officially recognized ethnic groups other than the Han majority, which makes up over 90% of the population. The term is formal, administrative, and widely used in education, media, and government policy.

This word emphasizes demographic and cultural distinction within China’s national framework. It carries no negative connotation when used appropriately, but context matters: it should not be applied casually to non-Chinese minority groups abroad, nor used as a substitute for specific ethnic names (e.g., Tibetan, Uyghur, Zhuang). In official discourse, it often appears alongside policies on language preservation, regional autonomy, and cultural protection.