major en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈmeɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/
- [ˈmæɪ̯d͡ʒə(ɹ)] (Australia, New-Zealand)
- [ˈmɛjd͡ʒə(ɹ)] (British, Southern, Standard)
- audio Queensland
- mā'jə r
- [ˈmeːd͡ʒɚ] (Canada)
- [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒə(ɹ)] (Received-Pronunciation)
- (California, Southern) audio
- [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒɚ] (Canada, General-American)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s Proto-Indo-European *-yōs Proto-Indo-European *méǵyōs Proto-Italic *majjōs Latin maiorder. Middle English major English major 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.
Meanings
-
(attributive) 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:
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(attributive) Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
the major part of the assembly
The three major religions are Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.
The five major religions are Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
-
(attributive) Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
Believing as he did that all differences of view, not only on questions of major principle and strategy but also in matters of organization, in the last resort 'reflected' class antagonisms […]
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 393:The building underwent a major renovation.
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(attributive) Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.
a major exhibition
[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:to earn some major cash
I gotta take a whiz test to my PO / I know I failed 'cause I done smoked major weed, bro
1995, “I Got 5 on It”, in Operation Stackola, performed by Luniz:
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(attributive) Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.
to suffer from a major illness
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Of full legal age, having attained majority.
major children
- Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
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Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. (of a scale)
major scale
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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
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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
- (postpositional) (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.
- Bell changes rung on eight bells.
- (UK, dated) 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)
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more major | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| majour | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| most major | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
D major · aid-major · major chord · major league · G-sharp major · major ninth · G major · Asia Major · major general · major prophet · fife major · semimajor · major calyx · C-sharp major · B major · generalmajor · major third · majoritarily · majorise · major element · major scale · majority · majorally · F major · major appliance · majoress · C major · D-flat major · St Brides Major · St Columb Major · major second · Daphne Major · A major · major seventh · comajor · major depressive disorder · major junior · majorate · Llantwit Major · F-flat major · in a major key · submajor · major piece · major arcana · majorization · major term · major axis · A-sharp major · major score · major sixth · majorly · major key · C-flat major · major seventh chord · major mode · major interval · A-flat major · major diameter · major planet · surgeon major · major party · major premise · brigade major · major suit · E major · major triad · supermajor · E-flat major · B-flat major · G-flat major · F-sharp major
Relateds
état major · pectoralis major · rectus capitis posterior major · labia major · vis major · zygomaticus major · rhomboid major · psoas major · teres major
Synonyms
Translations (107)
tr ergin (of full legal age; having attained majority) · ru мажо́рный (music: of an interval) · es significativo (greater in significance or importance) · gl maior (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · pt maior (music: containing the note which is a major third above the tonic) · it principale (greater in significance or importance) · hu nagyobb (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · fi merkittävä (greater in significance or importance) · fa بزرگ (greater in significance or importance) · bg мажорен (music: of a scale) · pt mor (greater in significance or importance) · hu számottevő (greater in significance or importance) · no dur (music: of a scale) · uk істо́тний (greater in significance or importance) · es mayúsculo (greater in significance or importance) · it cospicuo (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · fa عمده (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · cs dur (music: of a scale) · pl poważny (greater in significance or importance) · fr de taille (greater in significance or importance) · sq madhor (of full legal age; having attained majority) · fi duuri (music: of a scale) · la major (greater in significance or importance) · fa ماژور (music: of a scale) · is myndugur (of full legal age; having attained majority) · it maggiore (of full legal age; having attained majority) · fr majeur (music: of a scale) · af majeur (music: of a scale) · pl znaczny (greater in significance or importance) · da fuldmyndig (of full legal age; having attained majority) · el μεγάλος (greater in significance or importance) · fr majeur (of full legal age; having attained majority) · pt maior (music: of a scale) · es protagónico (greater in significance or importance) · fr plus grand (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · el μείζων (music: of a scale) · fr très important (greater in significance or importance) · es rotundo (greater in significance or importance) · af majeur (music: of an interval) · hu dúr (music: of a scale) · hi बालिग़ (of full legal age; having attained majority) · ru мажо́рный (music: of a scale) · es tremendo (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · fi suuri (music: of an interval) · fi täysi-ikäinen (of full legal age; having attained majority) · pt principal (greater in significance or importance) · es grosso (greater in significance or importance) · hu nagy (music: of an interval) · pl durowy (music: containing the note which is a major third above the tonic) · de volljährig (of full legal age; having attained majority) · cs durový (music: containing the note which is a major third above the tonic) · it significativo (greater in significance or importance) · oc major (of full legal age; having attained majority) · pt maior (greater in significance or importance) · bn প্রাপ্তবয়স্ক (of full legal age; having attained majority) · fi tärkeä (greater in significance or importance) · bg пълноле́тен (of full legal age; having attained majority) · hu lényeges (greater in significance or importance) · pl istotny (greater in significance or importance) · fr majeur (music: of an interval) · fi suurin (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · it maggiore (music: of a scale) · hi वयस्क (of full legal age; having attained majority) · hu nagykorú (of full legal age; having attained majority) · it notevole (greater in significance or importance) · de dur (music: of a scale) · it importante (greater in significance or importance) · el μεγάλος (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · fr majeur (greater in significance or importance) · hi प्रौढ़ (of full legal age; having attained majority) · pl dur (music: of a scale) · pt maior de idade (of full legal age; having attained majority) · la maior (greater in significance or importance) · it maggiore (music: containing the note which is a major third above the tonic) · de wichtig (greater in significance or importance) · la maior (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · bg значителен (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · uk значни́й (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · de bedeutend (greater in significance or importance) · sq madhor (greater in significance or importance) · la major (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · pt maior (of full legal age; having attained majority) · tr majör (music: of a scale) · sv myndig (of full legal age; having attained majority) · bn সাবালক (of full legal age; having attained majority) · pt maior (music: of an interval) · uk повнолі́тній (of full legal age; having attained majority) · fa مهم (greater in significance or importance) · pt maior (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · nl meerderjarig (of full legal age; having attained majority) · es groso (greater in significance or importance) · ca major (of full legal age; having attained majority) · uk значни́й (greater in significance or importance) · bg важен (greater in significance or importance) · hu jelentős (greater in significance or importance) · fr majeur (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · fr plus important (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · it grande (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · it maggiore (music: of an interval) · gl maior (of full legal age; having attained majority) · pl pełnoletni (of full legal age; having attained majority) · it considerevole (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · no myndig (of full legal age; having attained majority) · ca major (music: of a scale) · gl meirande (greater in number, quantity, or extent) · be гало́ўны (greater in significance or importance) · es mayor (music: of a scale)