The courts
opinion
A court's written explanation of its decision. The majority opinion sets precedent; concurrences agree with the result for different reasons; dissents disagree.
In full
An appellate decision usually arrives as a set of opinions. The opinion of the court (majority) states the binding rule. A concurrence signs onto the outcome but writes separately, sometimes narrowing or redirecting the reasoning. A dissent disagrees and, while it binds no one, can shape later law. A 'per curiam' opinion is unsigned, issued for the court as a whole.
Also written as: majority opinion
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.