Dictionary

minor en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈmaɪ.nəɹ/ (General-American)
• /ˈmaɪnə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From Middle English minor, menor, menour, etc., from Latin minor (“lesser; young; young person”) both directly and via Norman and Middle French menor, menour, etc. Doublet of minus but not mini-. Cognate with minister, minify, Minorca, Menshevik, and possibly minnow. Compare Latin minimum and minuō, Old High German minniro, Cornish minow.

Meanings

1. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option, particularly
   • It is my intention to wait a few years before I publish any minor poems. 1819 January 2, John Keats, letter:
   • of minor importance
   • Here we se thre proposicions, or sentences, whereof the first is called Maior, that is to saie, the proposicion at large. the seconde is called Minor, that is to saie, the seuerall proposicion. the thirde is called conclusio. 1551, Thomas Wilson, The Rule of Reason..., published 1970, sig. F8:
   • There is now such an immense "microliterature" on hepatics that, beyond a certain point I have given up trying to integrate (and evaluate) every minor paper published—especially narrowly floristic papers. 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page viii:
   • a minor poet
2. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ Underage, not having reached legal majority.
   • The defendant resides at 123 Fake Street with his partner and two minor children.
3. (figuratively, sometimes) Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ Not serious, not involving risk of death, permanent injury, dangerous surgery, or extended hospitalization.
   • We now know on authority of Dr. Briggs that every case of vaccination is "a minor case of smallpox," and that every such case of smallpox "should be carefully watched until all danger is passed". 1899 October, Edward Pollock Anshutz, Homoepathic Envoy, Vol. 10, No. 8, p. 58
   • She suffered a minor injury.
   • He has a minor case of puppy love.
   • There was minor bruising.
4. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ Smaller by a diatonic semitone than the equivalent major interval.
   • ...a certaine Fraction, which may be the difference betwixt a Tone major and a Tone minor, which we nominate a Schism... 1653 [1618], René Descartes, translated by Lord Brouncker, Excellent Compendium of Musick, page 30:
   • The musical interval between C and E♭ is a minor third while C to E is a major third.
5. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ Incorporating a minor third interval above the (in scales) tonic or (in chords) root note, (also figurative) tending to produce a dark, discordant, sad, or pensive effect.
   • He was a moralist in a minor key, more concerned that people should say ‘tinned peaches’ and not ‘tin peaches’, than that they should worry about nuclear disarmament. 1995 October 23, John Walsh, “The Pragmatic Entertainer Who Said the Unsayable”, in The Independent, page 3:
   • The first chorus: ‘Behold the Lamb of God’, with its dark minor chords, brings threatening clouds over us. 1843 March, United States Magazine & Democratic Review, page 273:
   • After harmony was introduced into music during the late Middle Ages, major and minor triads emerged as the principal chords. The major triad, as C E G, was regarded with especial favor, because it occurs naturally in the harmonic series, as on bugles, and can be expressed by the simple ratios, 4:5:6. A system of tuning for the diatonic scale known today as just intonation gained support in the 16th century, because its principal triads, C E G, F A C, and G B D, had these just ratios. But an important minor triad, D F A, is harsh in just intonation, and other unsatisfactory triads result when this tuning is extended to the complete chromatic scale. 1948 November, J.M. Barbour, “Music and Ternary Continued Fractions”, in American Mathematical Monthly, volume 55, number 9, page 545:
   • Modern harmonists are unwilling to acknowledge that the minor triad is less consonant than the major. 1880, Edmund Gurney, The Power of Sound, pages 271–272:
   • The first voice of the fugue that Elizabeth had played... came to him, inverted mockingly and in a minor key. 1951, Carson McCullers, “The Sojourner”, in O. Henry Prize Stories of 1951, page 200:
   • Beethoven's melancholy Moonlight Sonata is scored in the key of C# minor, using the diatonic scale C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A, and B, but modulates throughout.
   • The minor mode of D is tender. 1772, William Jones, “On the Arts, Commonly Called Imitative”, in Poems..., page 209:
   • [Tufnel] It's part of a trilogy, really, a musical trilogy that I'm doing in D... minor which I always find is really the saddest of all keys, really. I don't know why but it makes people weep instantly to play it... This piece is called "Lick My Love Pump". 1984, Christopher Guest, et al., This Is Spinal Tap:
6. (Canada, US) Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ Of or related to a minor, a secondary area of undergraduate study.
   • The minor requirements only involve about 20 hours of classes.
7. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ Of or related to a minor, a determinate obtained by deleting one or more rows and columns from a matrix.
8. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ Acting as the subject of the second premise of a categorical syllogism, which then also acts as the subject of its conclusion.
   • The minor term of John Stuart Mill's famous syllogism—usually mistakenly credited to Aristotle—is Socrates; the major term is mortal.
9. (UK, dated) Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ The younger of two pupils (or the middle of three) with the same surname.
   • He whipt her with a foxes taile, Barnes minor, c. 1593, Henry Chettle, Kind-harts Dreame, sig. C2
   • Espionage... was a field that had sophisticated itself since the distant time when Patullo Minor... had enthralled his school-fellows with his hazardous escapades. 1978, John Innes Mackintosh Stewart, Full Term, page 250:
10. (historical) Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ Of or related to the relationship between the longa and the breve in a score.
    • The minor perfect mode was marked by one single line which crossed three spaces, and the longue was equal to three breves... The minor imperfect mode was marked by a line which crossed two spaces only, and its longue was equal only to two breves. 1779, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, translated by William Waring, Complete Dictionary of Music, page 243:
11. (historical) Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ Having semibreves twice as long as a minim.
    • Josquin works in minor prolation—that is, works in which the signature indicates that a semibreve is equal to two minims, often have a 3 as a medial signature for a few measures, indicating that until the 3 is canceled by the reappearance of a sign for minor prolation, there are to be 3 minims to a semibreve. 1969, Arthur Mendel, "Some Preliminary Attempts at Computer-Assisted Style Analysis in Music", Computers and the Humanities, Vol. 4, No. 1, p. 45
12. (obsolete) Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ Of or related to a minority party.
    • In every other, the minor will be preferred by me to the major vote. 1796 December 27, Thomas Jefferson, letter
    • ...that the Minor part of the Lords might joyn with the Major part of the House of Commons... 1642, Charles I, His Majesties Answer to a Printed Book Entituled A Remonstrance..., page 13:
13. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ Having little worth or ability; paltry; mean.
    • And whenever Dre tore her off some money, she always split it up between his kids. She would've felt real minor taking all his cash and spending it on herself, knowing how needy his babies were. 2006, Noire [pseudonym], Thug-A-Licious: An Urban Erotic Tale, New York, N.Y.: One World, Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 128:
14. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option ▸ Including both directed and undirected edges.

Forms

Antonyms

major (antonym(s) of “most senses”) · antonym(s) of (grown, adult, mature, of age) · antonym(s) of (serious, grave, severe, dangerous, fatal, life-threatening, acute (informal))

Deriveds

minor term · Santorini's minor caruncle · minor-league · minor sixth · minor seventh · pectoralis minor · minor planet · graph minor · Minoress · minor diameter · minorize · minor diagonal · minor prophet · minor league · Sister Minor · minor party · minor civil division · Minorite · minor axis · minor premise · psoas minor · minor suit · minor sentence · A minor · minor third · minor piece · semiminor · minor celebrity · minor interval · minor arcana · Minor Feast · St Bride's Minor · minorate · E-flat minor · rectus capitis posterior minor · nonminor · zygomaticus minor · minor mode · minor order · natural minor scale · minor scale · minor child · minor premier · minor ninth · subminor · labia minor · minor key · D minor · minor subject · C-sharp minor · minor syllable · A-flat minor · harmonic minor scale · minorly · D-sharp minor · minor premiers · B-flat minor · minor chord · A-sharp minor · minor second · minor triad · in a minor key · G-sharp minor · F minor · minorish · melodic minor scale · G minor · minoress · minority · minor miracle · minorise · teres minor · C minor · E minor · minorship · F-sharp minor · rhomboid minor · United States minor outlying islands · semi-minor axis · B minor · semi-minor · minor seventh chord · minor thing · minor premiership · minor canon

Synonyms

insignificant and Thesaurus:small

Translations (64)

nl licht (lesser in importance) · el μινόρε (musical scale with a minor third) · nl onbelangrijk (lesser in importance) · de gering (lesser in importance) · pl molowy (musical scale with a minor third) · fi vähäinen (lesser in importance) · uk другоря́дний (lesser in importance) · hu másodlagos (lesser in importance) · fr mineur (musical scale with a minor third) · bg второстепенен (lesser in importance) · uk незначни́й (lesser in importance) · tr tâlî (lesser in importance) · el ελάσσων (musical scale with a minor third) · pt menor (lesser in importance) · cs moll (musical scale with a minor third) · el ασήμαντος (lesser in importance) · de moll (musical scale with a minor third) · it minore (musical scale with a minor third) · sco smaa (lesser in importance) · tr ikincil (lesser in importance) · da mol (musical scale with a minor third) · nl gering (lesser in importance) · bg маловажен (lesser in importance) · hu kis (smaller by a semitone) · bg минорен (musical scale with a minor third) · ru второстепе́нный (lesser in importance) · nl minderjarig (lesser in importance) · de geringfügig (lesser in importance) · el ήσσων (lesser in importance) · de untergeordnet (lesser in importance) · cs vedlejší (lesser in importance) · hu csekély (lesser in importance) · de klein (lesser in importance) · af mineur (musical scale with a minor third) · da ubetydelig (lesser in importance) · mi tāheke (musical scale with a minor third) · sv smärre (lesser in importance) · it minore (lesser in importance) · cs mollový (musical scale with a minor third) · fa مینور (musical scale with a minor third) · de unbedeutend (lesser in importance) · ru незначи́тельный (lesser in importance) · fr mineur (lesser in importance) · el μικρή (smaller by a semitone) · hu mellékes (lesser in importance) · ru ма́лый (smaller by a semitone) · de nachgeordnet (lesser in importance) · hu moll (musical scale with a minor third) · ru мино́рный (musical scale with a minor third) · eo negrava (lesser in importance) · pl poboczny (lesser in importance) · fur minôr (lesser in importance) · cs malý (smaller by a semitone) · pl drugorzędny (lesser in importance) · pl pomniejszy (lesser in importance) · hu jelentéktelen (lesser in importance) · fi molli (musical scale with a minor third) · uk дрібни́й (lesser in importance) · fi vähämerkityksinen (lesser in importance) · tr minör (musical scale with a minor third) · hu lényegtelen (lesser in importance) · es menor (lesser in importance) · el ελάσσων (lesser in importance) · pt menor (musical scale with a minor third)

minor en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈmaɪ.nəɹ/ (General-American)
• /ˈmaɪnə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From Middle English minor, menor, menour, etc., from Latin minor (“lesser; young; young person”) both directly and via Norman and Middle French menor, menour, etc. Doublet of minus but not mini-. Cognate with minister, minify, Minorca, Menshevik, and possibly minnow. Compare Latin minimum and minuō, Old High German minniro, Cornish minow.

Meanings

1. A child, a person who has not reached the age of majority, consent, etc. and is legally subject to fewer responsibilities and less accountability and entitled to fewer legal rights and privileges.
   • King Richard the second... for the first tenne yeares of his raigne, was a Minor. 1612, John Davies, A Discouerie of the True Causes Why Ireland Was Neuer Entirely Subdued..., page 88:
   • He was only a minor when he succeeded his father to the barony.
   • No, he can't get a mortgage or sell the house. He's still a minor. For the most part, he can't sign a legally binding contract.
2. A lesser person or thing, a person, group, or thing of minor rank or in the minor leagues.
   • She hasn't won a minor since the Sichuan Open.
   • Mr Gloss'em, who is a shining character in the theatrical world, at least among the minors [minor theaters] of the metropolis. 1821, Pierce Egan, Real Life in London..., volume I, page 92:
   • The play is considered one of his minors.
   • He plays in the minors.
3. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of minor interval, minor scale, minor mode, minor key, minor chord, or minor triad.
   alt of minor chord
   alt of minor interval
   alt of minor key
   alt of minor mode
   alt of minor scale
   alt of or minor triad
4. (Canada, US) A formally recognized secondary area of undergraduate study, requiring fewer course credits than the equivalent major.
   • I got a minor in English Lit.
5. (Canada, US, uncommon) A person who is completing or has completed such a course of study.
   • I became an English minor.
6. A determinant of a square matrix obtained by deleting one or more rows and columns.
   • ...the whole of a system of rth minors being zero... 1850, James Joseph Sylvester, London, Edinburgh, & Dublin Philosophical Magazine..., volume 37, page 366:
   • Let A be a non-zero matrix of rank r over a field. Then A has a non-zero r-minor and all s-minors of A are zero for s > r. 1986, C. W. Norman, Undergraduate Algebra, →ISBN, page 315:
7. (alt-of) Alternative letter-case form of Minor: a Franciscan friar, a Clarist nun.
   alt of Minor
   • He... to þe menours ordre went 1447, Osbern Bokenham, Legendys of Hooly Wummen, l. 10520:
8. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of minor term or minor premise.
   alt of minor term or minor premise
   • And so musten oure clerkis argue whan þai aleggen for her lordeschip þe lyuynge of her patrons & sayntis, & sayen þus: "Seynt thomas & seynt hwe & seynt Swiþune wer þus lordis, & in þis þai suyd cristis lyuynge & his lore; þerfor we may lefulli be þus lordis." And I wote wel þat gabriel schal blow his horne or þai han preuyd þe mynor; þat is, þat þes seyntes or patrons in þis suyden þe lore or þe life of ihesu criste. c. 1450, anonymous author, The Clergy May Not Hold Property, page 31:
9. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of minor league (“the lower level of teams”).
   alt of minor league
   • It is certain that the major leagues must depend upon the minors for their recruits. 1890 July 31, Sporting Life, Philadelphia, page 1:
10. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of minor penalty (“a penalty requiring a player to leave the ice for 2 minutes unless the opposing team scores”).
    alt of minor penalty
    • Penalties... First Period... all minors. 1924 December 30, Gazette, Montreal, page 14:
11. (Australian) Synonym of behind: a one-point kick.
    • Brown from a mark on the magazine wing put up the first minor. 1903 May 16, Sporting News, Tasmania, page 4:
12. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, historical) Ellipsis of minor point (“a lesser score formerly gained by certain actions”).
    alt of minor point
    • At half-time the score was—one goal, three tries, and four minors. 1883 February 5, York Herald, page 8:
13. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of minor suit, a card of a minor suit.
    alt of minor suit
    • Many find it easier to remember 20 for Minors, 30 for Majors and 35 for No Trump. 1927, Milton Cooper Work, Contract Bridge, page 11:
14. Any of various noctuid moths in Europe and Asia, chiefly in the Oligia and Mesoligia genera.
15. A leaf-cutter worker ant intermediate in size between a minim and a media.
16. Changes rung on six bells.
17. (obsolete, qualifier:Scots law) An adolescent, a person above the legal age of puberty but below the age of majority.
18. (obsolete, rare) Synonym of subtrahend, the amount subtracted from a number.
19. (UK, obsolete, rare) The younger brother of a pupil.
    • Let my minor pass, you fellows!... Here, Chudleigh, just make room there. 1864, Eton School Days, page 82:
20. (abbreviation, alt-of) Short for graph minor.
    alt of graph minor

Forms

Coordinates

adult · adult · pupil

Deriveds

Hungarian minor · minor-attracted person · harmonic minor · minoress · mature minor

Synonyms

subtrahend · behind

Translations (81)

hi अवयस्क (someone below the legal age of majority) · cmn 未成年者 (someone below the legal age of majority) · ca menor d'etat (someone below the legal age of majority) · pt menor (someone below the legal age of majority) · pl małolata (someone below the legal age of majority) · de Minderjähriger (someone below the legal age of majority) · th ผู้เยาว์ (someone below the legal age of majority) · de Nebenfach (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · da mindreårig (someone below the legal age of majority) · tr ergin olmayan (someone below the legal age of majority) · fa کسی که زیر سن قانونی است (someone below the legal age of majority) · cmn 輔系 /辅系 (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · lld mender (someone below the legal age of majority) · hi किशोर (someone below the legal age of majority) · eo neplenaĝulo (someone below the legal age of majority) · es carrera menor (académica) (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · ru непро́фильный предме́т (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · cmn 副修 (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · cmn 輔修 /辅修 (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · mk малолетен (someone below the legal age of majority) · az azyaşlı (someone below the legal age of majority) · af byvak (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · lt nepilnametis (someone below the legal age of majority) · fi sivuaine (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · nl bijvak (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · tl menor de edad (someone below the legal age of majority) · gl menor de idade (someone below the legal age of majority) · ru малоле́тний (someone below the legal age of majority) · bn অপ্রাপ্তবয়স্ক (someone below the legal age of majority) · pl nieletni (someone below the legal age of majority) · fi alaikäinen (someone below the legal age of majority) · be малале́тні (someone below the legal age of majority) · af minderjarige (someone below the legal age of majority) · tr yardımcı (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · lv nepilngadīgs (someone below the legal age of majority) · oc menor (someone below the legal age of majority) · de minderjährige Person (someone below the legal age of majority) · he קְטִינָה (someone below the legal age of majority) · tl kalit-an (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · de Minderjährige (someone below the legal age of majority) · uk малолі́тній (someone below the legal age of majority) · sv underårig (someone below the legal age of majority) · tr küçük (someone below the legal age of majority) · ko 미성년자 (someone below the legal age of majority) · uk неповнолі́тній (someone below the legal age of majority) · tr rüşte ermemiş (someone below the legal age of majority) · pl małoletni (someone below the legal age of majority) · ru несовершенноле́тний (someone below the legal age of majority) · af keusevak (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · es menor de edad (someone below the legal age of majority) · ca menor (someone below the legal age of majority) · bg малоле́тен (someone below the legal age of majority) · hu kiskorú (someone below the legal age of majority) · fur minôr (someone below the legal age of majority) · tr reşit olmayan (someone below the legal age of majority) · ja 未成年者 (someone below the legal age of majority) · fi sivuaineopiskelija (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · cs nezletilý (someone below the legal age of majority) · id anak (someone below the legal age of majority) · be непаўнале́тні (someone below the legal age of majority) · sk neplnoletý (someone below the legal age of majority) · he קָטִין (someone below the legal age of majority) · cmn 未成年人 (someone below the legal age of majority) · gl menor (someone below the legal age of majority) · es menor (someone below the legal age of majority) · da bifag (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · pl nieletnia (someone below the legal age of majority) · pl niepełnoletni (someone below the legal age of majority) · it minore (someone below the legal age of majority) · cy plentyn dan oed (someone below the legal age of majority) · pl małolat (someone below the legal age of majority) · hy անչափահաս (someone below the legal age of majority) · bn নাবালক (someone below the legal age of majority) · pl niepełnoletnia (someone below the legal age of majority) · es minor (subject of secondary undergraduate study) · nl minderjarige (someone below the legal age of majority) · bg непълноле́тен (someone below the legal age of majority) · fr mineur (someone below the legal age of majority) · ga mionaoiseach (someone below the legal age of majority) · hi नाबालिग़ (someone below the legal age of majority) · pl małoletnia (someone below the legal age of majority)

minor en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈmaɪ.nəɹ/ (General-American)
• /ˈmaɪnə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From Middle English minor, menor, menour, etc., from Latin minor (“lesser; young; young person”) both directly and via Norman and Middle French menor, menour, etc. Doublet of minus but not mini-. Cognate with minister, minify, Minorca, Menshevik, and possibly minnow. Compare Latin minimum and minuō, Old High German minniro, Cornish minow.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) Used in a phrasal verb: minor in.

Forms

Translations (2)

cmn 輔修 /辅修 (verb) · fi suorittaa sivuaine (verb)