In a parliamentary system, what is a government that has the most seats, but less than half of the total, called?

In a parliamentary system, a government that holds the most seats in the legislature but does not achieve an absolute majority (less than half of the total seats) is referred to as a minority government. This situation occurs when no single political party gains enough seats to form a majority, yet one party still has a higher number of seats compared to other parties.

A minority government relies on support from other political parties or independent members to pass legislation and maintain confidence in the parliament. This can lead to negotiations and compromises on policy decisions, as the ruling party must work collaboratively, since they cannot unilaterally push through their agenda.

By contrast, a majority government holds more than half the seats, enabling them to govern more independently. A coalition government occurs when two or more parties come together to achieve a majority, which is different from a minority situation. Lastly, a dictatorship is a form of governance where power is concentrated in a single leader or party, without democratic processes, and does not pertain to parliamentary systems or seat counts.