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Major

//ˈmeɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)// adj, name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest. attributive

    "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."

  2. 2
    Greater in number, quantity, or extent. attributive

    "the major part of the assembly"

  3. 3
    Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope. attributive
  4. 4
    Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree. attributive

    "to earn some major cash"

  5. 5
    Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening. attributive

    "to suffer from a major illness"

Show 10 more definitions
  1. 6
    Of full legal age, having attained majority.

    "major children"

  2. 7
    Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
  3. 8
    Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. (of a scale)

    "major scale"

  4. 9
    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"

  5. 10
    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); Having a major third above the root.

    "major triad"

  6. 11
    (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect. postpositional
  7. 12
    Bell changes rung on eight bells.
  8. 13
    Indicating the elder of two brothers (or the eldest of three), appended to a surname in public schools. UK, dated
  9. 14
    Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism. (of a term)
  10. 15
    Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism. (of a premise)
Adjective
  1. 1
    greater in number or size or amount wordnet
  2. 2
    greater in scope or effect wordnet
  3. 3
    of full legal age wordnet
  4. 4
    (of a scale or mode) having half steps between the third and fourth degrees and the seventh and eighth degrees wordnet
  5. 5
    of the field of academic study in which one concentrates or specializes wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    of greater importance or stature or rank wordnet
  2. 7
    of greater seriousness or danger wordnet
  3. 8
    of the elder of two boys with the same family name wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    An unincorporated community in Owsley County, Kentucky, United States. countable, uncountable
  3. 3
    A village in the Rural Municipality of Prairiedale, No. 321, Saskatchewan, Canada. countable, uncountable
Noun
  1. 1
    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. 2
    Title for an army officer with the rank of major.
  3. 3
    the principal field of study of a student at a university wordnet
  4. 4
    A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, between captain and lieutenant colonel.; An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier.
  5. 5
    a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain wordnet
Show 17 more definitions
  1. 6
    A person of legal age.
  2. 7
    a university student who is studying a particular field as the principal subject wordnet
  3. 8
    Ellipsis of major key. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
  4. 9
    Ellipsis of major interval. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
  5. 10
    Ellipsis of major scale. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
  6. 11
    A system of change-ringing using eight bells.
  7. 12
    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."

  8. 13
    The principal subject or course of a student working toward a degree at a college or university. Australia, Canada, New-Zealand, US

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

  9. 14
    The principal subject or course of a student working toward a degree at a college or university.; A student at a college or university specializing on a given area of study. Australia, Canada, New-Zealand, US

    "She is a math major."

  10. 15
    Ellipsis of major term. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
  11. 16
    Ellipsis of major premise. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
  12. 17
    Ellipsis of major suit. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
  13. 18
    A touchdown, or major score. Canadian
  14. 19
    A goal.
  15. 20
    An elder brother (especially at a public school). British, dated, slang
  16. 21
    A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest.
  17. 22
    Alternative form of mayor and mair. alt-of, alternative, obsolete
Verb
  1. 1
    Used in a phrasal verb: major in. intransitive
  2. 2
    have as one's principal field of study wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

Etymology 3

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.

Etymology 4

* 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.

Etymology 5

* 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.

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