minority complex

Meaning

1. 1nouncountabletechnicalspecialist

   A feeling of inferiority or low confidence that comes from belonging to a group seen as a minority.

   Grammar: Countable; say 'a minority complex' or 'minority complexes'. It is often used in the phrase 'have a minority complex'.

   Patterns

   • have a minority complex
   • develop a minority complex
   • a minority complex about something

   Some students from small villages develop a minority complex when they move to big cities.

   The psychologist said his minority complex made him doubt his own abilities.

   She wrote about the minority complex that can affect speakers of regional dialects.

Word forms

Common combinations

have a minority complex

He has a minority complex about his accent.

develop a minority complex

Children can develop a minority complex if they are teased for their background.

a minority complex about something

She has a minority complex about not going to a famous university.

Synonyms and how they differ

inferiority complex

'Inferiority complex' is a more general feeling of being worse than others; 'minority complex' specifically links that feeling to belonging to a minority group.

Word family

minority noun

A group smaller in number than the rest of a population.

complex noun

In psychology, a group of strong feelings that influence behavior.

Commonly confused: minority complex or inferiority complex?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “minority complex”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words