English
major
see also: Major
Etymology

From Middle English major, from Latin maior, comparative of magnus ("great, large; noble, important"), from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂yōs, comparative of *meǵh₂- ("great").

Pronunciation
  • IPA: /ˈmeɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/
Adjective

major

  1. (attributive):
    1. Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.
    2. Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
      the major part of the assembly
      Synonyms: main
    3. Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
      Synonyms: considerable
    4. Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.
      to earn some major cash
    5. (medicine) Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.
      to suffer from a major illness
  2. Of full legal age, having attained majority.
    major children
  3. (education) Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
  4. (music):
    1. Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. (of a scale)
      major scale
    2. 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
      1. Having a major third above the root.
        major triad
    3. (postpositive) (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.
    4. (campanology) Bell changes rung on eight bells.
  5. (UK, dated) Indicating the elder of two brothers, appended to a surname in public schools.
  6. (logic)
    1. Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism. (of a term)
    2. Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism. (of a premise)
Antonyms Related terms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Noun

major (plural majors)

  1. (military ranks) 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.
    1. An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier.
      Meronyms: drum major, trumpet major
  2. A person of legal age.
    Antonyms: minor
  3. (music):
    1. Ellipsis of major key
    2. Ellipsis of major interval
    3. Ellipsis of major scale
    4. (campanology) A system of change-ringing using eight bells.
  4. A large, commercially successful company, especially a record label that is bigger than an indie.
  5. (education, North America, Australia, New Zealand) 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.
    Synonyms: course
    1. A student at a college or university specializing on a given area of study.
      She is a math major.
  6. (logic):
    1. Ellipsis of major term
    2. Ellipsis of major premise
  7. (bridge) Ellipsis of major suit
  8. (Canadian football) A touchdown, or major score.
  9. (Australian rules football) A goal.
  10. (British slang, dated) An elder brother (especially at a public school).
  11. (entomology) A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest.
  12. (obsolete) Alternative form of mayor and mair.
Translations Translations Translations
  • French: matière principal
  • German: Hauptfach, Hauptstudienfach, Hauptstudiengang
  • Italian: laurea, corso di laurea
  • Russian: профили́рующая дисципли́на
  • Spanish: asignatura principal
Translations
  • French: étudiant spécialisé, étudiante spécialisée
Verb

major (majors, present participle majoring; simple past and past participle majored)

  1. (intransitive) Used in a phrasal verb: major in.
Related terms Translations
Major
Etymology
  • As an English surname of nrf - origin, from the personal name Malgier, via Old French - from the Germanic - name *Madalgari.
  • 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.
Proper noun
  1. Surname.
  2. An unincorporated community in Kentucky.
  3. A village in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Noun

major (plural majors)

  1. (military) Title for an army officer with the rank of major.
Translations

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