Navigation
Home
Resources
Irregular verbs quizzes English conjugator English-French dictionary French dictionary English dictionary Monolingual dictionaries Scores by institution Free sample tests FAQ Pricing Tourism training Blog Videos
Login Sign up
Blog
Videos
Pricing
FR EN

major

adj, noun, verb — 35 senses

major

adjalso spelled Major

UK [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒə(ɹ)] · CA, US [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒɚ]

Etymology From Middle English major, from Latin maior, comparative of magnus (“great, large; noble, important”), from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂yōs (“greater”), comparative of *meǵh₂- (“great”). Compare West Frisian majoar (“major”), Dutch majoor (“major”), French majeur. Doublet of mayor. Noun sense 1 is a shortening of sergeant major, perhaps after Spanish mayor in the same sense.

15 senses
  1. 1Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.
  2. 2Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
  3. 3Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
  4. 4Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.
  5. 5Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.
  6. 6Of full legal age, having attained majority.
  7. 7Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as…
  8. 8Having intervals of a semitone between the third and…
  9. 9Equivalent to that between the tonic and another note of…
  10. 10Having a major third above the root.
  11. 11(of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a…
  12. 12Bell changes rung on eight bells.
  13. 13Indicating the elder of two brothers (or the eldest of…
  14. 14Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a…
  15. 15Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism.…
1

Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.

  • The US supreme court has ruled unanimously that natural human genes cannot be patented, a decision that scientists and civil rights campaigners said removed a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation.2013 June 13, Karen McVeigh, “US supreme court rules human genes cannot be patented”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 10:
2

Greater in number, quantity, or extent.

  • the major part of the assembly
  • The three major religions are Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.
1 more example
  • The five major religions are Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
3

Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.

  • The building underwent a major renovation.
4

Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.

  • to earn some major cash
  • a major exhibition
2 more examples
  • I gotta take a whiz test to my PO / I know I failed 'cause I done smoked major weed, bro1995, “I Got 5 on It”, in Operation Stackola, performed by Luniz:
  • [B]y the time I turned back to the screen, Jamie was fully dressed, major bummer.1995, Paul Vautin, Turn It Up!, Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia, page 129:
5

Medicine, Sciences Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.

  • to suffer from a major illness
6

Of full legal age, having attained majority.

  • major children
7

Education Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.

8

Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. (of a scale)

  • major scale
9

Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music Equivalent to that between the tonic and another note of a major scale, and greater by a semitone than the corresponding minor interval. (of an interval)

  • major third
10

Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music Having a major third above the root.

  • major triad
11

Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music Postpositional (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.

12

Campanology, Entertainment, History, Human sciences, Lifestyle, Music, Sciences Bell changes rung on eight bells.

13

UK, Dated Indicating the elder of two brothers (or the eldest of three), appended to a surname in public schools.

14

Human sciences, Logic, Mathematics, Philosophy, Sciences Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism. (of a term)

15

Human sciences, Logic, Mathematics, Philosophy, Sciences Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism. (of a premise)

Antonyms
minor
Derived terms
71 termsA-flat major, aid-major, A major, A-sharp major, Asia Major, B-flat major, B major, brigade major, C-flat major, C major, comajor, C-sharp major, Daphne Major, D-flat major, D major, E-flat major, E major, F-flat major, fife major, F major, F-sharp major, generalmajor, G-flat major, G major, G-sharp major, in a major key, Llantwit Major, majorally, major appliance, major arcana, majorate, major axis, major calyx, major chord, major depressive disorder, major diameter, major element, majoress, major general, major interval, majorise, majoritarily, majority, majorization, major junior, major key, major league, majorly, major mode, major ninth, major party, major piece, major planet, major premise, major prophet, major scale, major score, major second, major seventh, major seventh chord, major sixth, major suit, major term, major third, major triad, semimajor, St Brides Major, St Columb Major, submajor, supermajor, surgeon major
Related terms
état major, labia major, pectoralis major, psoas major, rectus capitis posterior major, rhomboid major, teres major, vis major, zygomaticus major

major

noun

Etymology From Middle English major, from Latin maior, comparative of magnus (“great, large; noble, important”), from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂yōs (“greater”), comparative of *meǵh₂- (“great”). Compare West Frisian majoar (“major”), Dutch majoor (“major”), French majeur. Doublet of mayor. Noun sense 1 is a shortening of sergeant major, perhaps after Spanish mayor in the same sense.

18 senses
  1. 1A rank of officer in the army and the US air force…
  2. 2An officer in charge of a section of band instruments…
  3. 3A person of legal age.
  4. 4Ellipsis of major key.
  5. 5Ellipsis of major interval.
  6. 6Ellipsis of major scale.
  7. 7A system of change-ringing using eight bells.
  8. 8A large, commercially successful company, especially a…
  9. 9The principal subject or course of a student working…
  10. 10A student at a college or university specializing on a…
  11. 11Ellipsis of major term.
  12. 12Ellipsis of major premise.
  13. 13Ellipsis of major suit.
  14. 14A touchdown, or major score.
  15. 15A goal.
  16. 16An elder brother (especially at a public school).
  17. 17A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier…
  18. 18Alternative form of mayor and mair.
1

Government, Military, Politics, War A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, between captain and lieutenant colonel.

  • He used to be a major in the army.
2

Government, Military, Politics, War An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier.

3

A person of legal age.

4

Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of major key.

5

Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of major interval.

6

Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of major scale.

7

Campanology, Entertainment, History, Human sciences, Lifestyle, Music, Sciences A system of change-ringing using eight bells.

8

A large, commercially successful company, especially a record label that is bigger than an indie.

  • At the end of last year, the band re-signed to XL for another three albums, despite being chased by majors that included Island, says manager Mike Champion of Midi Management.1997, Dominic Pride, “U.S. success caps global impact of XL's prodigy”, in Billboard, volume 109, number 30, page 86:
9

Education Australia, Canada, New Zealand, US The principal subject or course of a student working toward a degree at a college or university.

  • Midway through his second year of college, he still hadn't chosen a major.
10

Education Australia, Canada, New Zealand, US A student at a college or university specializing on a given area of study.

  • She is a math major.
11

Human sciences, Logic, Mathematics, Philosophy, Sciences Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of major term.

12

Human sciences, Logic, Mathematics, Philosophy, Sciences Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of major premise.

13

Bridge, Games Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of major suit.

14

Ball games, Football, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Canadian A touchdown, or major score.

15

A goal.

Australian rules football

16

British, Dated, Slang An elder brother (especially at a public school).

17

Biology, Entomology, Natural sciences A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest.

18

Alternative, Obsolete Alternative form of mayor and mair.

Derived terms
double major, majordomo, majorette, majorize, majorship, midmajor, minimajor, nonmajor, premajor, woordie major

major

verb

Etymology From Middle English major, from Latin maior, comparative of magnus (“great, large; noble, important”), from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂yōs (“greater”), comparative of *meǵh₂- (“great”). Compare West Frisian majoar (“major”), Dutch majoor (“major”), French majeur. Doublet of mayor. Noun sense 1 is a shortening of sergeant major, perhaps after Spanish mayor in the same sense.

1

Used in a phrasal verb: major in.

Derived terms
double-major
Related terms
majorant

Major

noun

Etymology * As an English surname of Norman origin, from the personal name Malgier, via Old French from the Germanic name *Madalgari. See Mauger. * As a Hungarian surname, shortened from majorosgazda (see Majoros), or borrowed from German Meyer. * As a Polish, Czech, and Slovak surname, from the military rank major. * As a Jewish surname, variant of Meyer. * As a French and Occitan surname, from the adjective majeur and the military rank major. The latter appears in Canadian French, sometimes also as La Major.

1

Government, Military, Politics, War Title for an army officer with the rank of major.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — authors: page histories for major and Major.

Learn more