major
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major¹
- /ˈmeɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/
- [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒə(ɹ)] UK
- [ˈmɛjd͡ʒə(ɹ)] British, Southern, Standard
- [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒɚ] Canada, US
- [ˈmeːd͡ʒɚ] Canada
- [ˈmæɪ̯d͡ʒə(ɹ)] Australia, New Zealand
Rhymes with -eɪdʒə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
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.
adjective more major · most major · majour
- 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.
-
Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
the major part of the assembly
Similar: main
-
Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
The building underwent a major renovation.
Similar: considerable
- Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree. to earn some major cash
- Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening. to suffer from a major illness
- Of full legal age, having attained majority. major children
- Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
- Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. (of a scale) major scale
- 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
- Having a major third above the root. major triad
- (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.
- Bell changes rung on eight bells.
- Indicating the elder of two brothers (or the eldest of three), appended to a surname in public schools.
- Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism. (of a term)
- Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism. (of a premise)
Opposite: minor
noun majors · majour
- 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.
- An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier.
-
A person of legal age.
Opposite: minor
- Ellipsis of major key
- Ellipsis of major interval
- Ellipsis of major scale
- A system of change-ringing using eight bells.
- 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.
-
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.
Similar: course
-
A student at a college or university specializing on a given area of study.
She is a math major.
Similar: course
- Ellipsis of major term
- Ellipsis of major premise
- Ellipsis of major suit
- A touchdown, or major score.
- A goal.
- An elder brother (especially at a public school).
- A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest.
- Alternative form of mayor and mair
verb majors · majoring · majored · majour
- Used in a phrasal verb: major in.
Major²
Where it comes from
* 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.
proper noun Majors
- A surname.
- An unincorporated community in Owsley County, Kentucky, United States.
- A village in the Rural Municipality of Prairiedale, No. 321, Saskatchewan, Canada.
noun Majors
- Title for an army officer with the rank of major.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: better, outstanding, great, prima, senior, leading, starring, stellar, star, appreciable, much, ample, excellent, sizable, super, large-scale
adjective
Opposite: minor
Translations
Every language
adj music: of a scale
| Español | mayor |
|---|---|
| Português | maior |
| Français | majeur |
| Deutsch | dur |
| Italiano | maggiore |
| Ελληνικά | μείζων meízon |
| Русский | мажо́рный mažórnyj |
adj greater in significance or importance
| Español | significativo, mayúsculo, protagónico, grosso, groso, rotundo |
|---|---|
| Português | maior, principal, mor |
| Français | majeur, de taille, très important |
| Deutsch | bedeutend, wichtig |
| Italiano | significativo, principale, notevole, importante |
| Ελληνικά | μεγάλος megálos |
adj greater in number, quantity, or extent
| Español | tremendo |
|---|---|
| Português | maior |
| Français | plus grand, plus important, majeur |
| Italiano | grande, considerevole, cospicuo |
| Ελληνικά | μεγάλος megálos |
adj of full legal age; having attained majority
| हिन्दी | बालिग़ bāliġ, वयस्क vayask, प्रौढ़ prauṛh |
|---|---|
| Português | maior, maior de idade |
| Français | majeur |
| Deutsch | volljährig |
| Italiano | maggiore |
adj music: containing the note which is a major third above the tonic
| Português | maior |
|---|---|
| Italiano | maggiore |
noun military rank
| Español | comandante, mayor |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 소좌 sojwa, 소령 soryeong |
| 日本語 | 少佐 shōsa, 少領 shōryō |
| 中文 | 少校 shàoxiào |
| हिन्दी | मेजर mejar |
| Kiswahili | meja |
| Português | major |
| Français | commandant, major, chef d'escadrons, chef d'escadron |
| Deutsch | Major |
| Italiano | maggiore |
| Ελληνικά | ταγματάρχης tagmatárchis, επισμηναγός episminagós |
| Română | maior, maiori |
| Русский | майо́р majór |
| Tiếng Việt | thiếu tá |
| العربية | رَائِد rāʔid |
noun principal subject or course
| Español | asignatura principal, carrera académica, programa de estudio(s), major, méijor |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 전공 jeon'gong |
| 日本語 | 専攻 senkō |
| 中文 | 主修 zhǔxiū, 專攻 /专攻 zhuāngōng, 專業 /专业 zhuānyè |
| Français | matière principale |
| Deutsch | Hauptfach, Hauptstudienfach, Hauptstudiengang |
| Italiano | laurea, corso di laurea |
| Ελληνικά | ειδικότητα eidikótita |
| Русский | профили́рующая дисципли́на profilírujuščaja disciplína, гла́вный предме́т glávnyj predmét, основно́й предме́т osnovnój predmét |
noun person of legal age
| Español | mayor de edad |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | बालिग़ bāliġ, वयस्क vayask, प्रौढ़ prauṛh |
| Português | maior, maior de idade |
| Français | majeur |
| Deutsch | Volljährige |
| Italiano | maggiorenne |
| Ελληνικά | ενήλικας enílikas |
| Русский | совершенноле́тний soveršennolétnij, совершенноле́тняя soveršennolétnjaja |
noun student specializing in a specified subject
| Español | encarrerado |
|---|---|
| Français | étudiant spécialisé, étudiante spécialisée |
| Ελληνικά | ειδικευόμενος eidikevómenos |
verb verb
| 한국어 | 전공하다 jeon'gonghada |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 専攻する senkō suru |
| 中文 | 專攻 /专攻 zhuāngōng |
| Português | especializar-se |
| Français | se spécialiser |
| Deutsch | sich spezialisieren |
| Русский | специализи́роваться specializírovatʹsja |
noun Translations
| Русский | Майор |
|---|
Talk about this word "major." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/major. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. major. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/major "major." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/major.Cite this
@misc{major_2026,
title = {major},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/major},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
