noun
narrow margin; slight difference
Used for a very small difference in numbers, votes, scores, etc. Often appears in contexts like elections, sports, or measurements. The gloss 'narrow majority' applies specifically to voting contexts.
選挙の結果は僅少差で決まった。
The election result was decided by a narrow margin.
両者の得点は僅少差だった。
There was a slight difference between the two scores.
小差 also means 'small difference', but is more general and less formal than 僅少差.
Compound of 僅少 (きんしょう, 'a little, slight') and 差 (さ, 'difference'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a standard Sino-Japanese compounding pattern.