Major
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Definitions
- 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 Title for an army officer with the rank of major.
- 3 the principal field of study of a student at a university wordnet
- 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 a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain wordnet
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- 6 A person of legal age.
- 7 a university student who is studying a particular field as the principal subject wordnet
- 8 Ellipsis of major key. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 9 Ellipsis of major interval. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 10 Ellipsis of major scale. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 11 A system of change-ringing using eight bells.
- 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."
- 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."
- 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."
- 15 Ellipsis of major term. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 16 Ellipsis of major premise. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 17 Ellipsis of major suit. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 18 A touchdown, or major score. Canadian
- 19 A goal.
- 20 An elder brother (especially at a public school). British, dated, slang
- 21 A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest.
- 22 Alternative form of mayor and mair. alt-of, alternative, obsolete
- 1 Used in a phrasal verb: major in. intransitive
- 2 have as one's principal field of study wordnet
- 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 Greater in number, quantity, or extent. attributive
"the major part of the assembly"
- 3 Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope. attributive
- 4 Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree. attributive
"to earn some major cash"
- 5 Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening. attributive
"to suffer from a major illness"
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- 6 Of full legal age, having attained majority.
"major children"
- 7 Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
- 8 Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. (of a scale)
"major scale"
- 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"
- 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"
- 11 (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect. postpositional
- 12 Bell changes rung on eight bells.
- 13 Indicating the elder of two brothers (or the eldest of three), appended to a surname in public schools. UK, dated
- 14 Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism. (of a term)
- 15 Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism. (of a premise)
- 1 greater in number or size or amount wordnet
- 2 greater in scope or effect wordnet
- 3 of full legal age wordnet
- 4 (of a scale or mode) having half steps between the third and fourth degrees and the seventh and eighth degrees wordnet
- 5 of the field of academic study in which one concentrates or specializes wordnet
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- 6 of greater importance or stature or rank wordnet
- 7 of greater seriousness or danger wordnet
- 8 of the elder of two boys with the same family name wordnet
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 An unincorporated community in Owsley County, Kentucky, United States. countable, uncountable
- 3 A village in the Rural Municipality of Prairiedale, No. 321, Saskatchewan, Canada. countable, uncountable
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"Tension is a major cause of heart disease."
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.
* 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.