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View synonyms for major

major

1

[ mey-jer ]

noun

  1. a commissioned military officer ranking next below a lieutenant colonel and next above a captain.
  2. one of superior rank, ability, etc., in a specified class.
  3. Education.
    1. a subject or field of study chosen by a student to represent their principal interest and upon which a large share of their efforts are concentrated:

      History was my major in college.

    2. a student engaged in such study.
  4. a person of full legal age ( minor ).
  5. Music. a major interval, chord, scale, etc.
  6. the majors,
    1. Sports. the major leagues: major league:

      He coached in the majors as well as in the minors.

    2. the companies or organizations that lead or control a particular field of activity:

      the oil majors.



adjective

  1. greater in size, extent, or importance:

    the major part of the town.

  2. great, as in rank or importance: a major artist.

    a major political issue;

    a major artist.

  3. serious or risky:

    a major operation.

  4. of or relating to the majority:

    the major opinion.

  5. of full legal age.
  6. Music.
    1. (of an interval) being between the tonic and the second, third, sixth, or seventh degrees of a major scale: a major sixth.

      a major third;

      a major sixth.

    2. (of a chord) having a major third between the root and the note next above it.
  7. pertaining to the subject in which a student takes the most courses:

    Her major field is English history.

  8. (initial capital letter) (of one of two male students in an English public school who have the same surname) being the elder or higher in standing:

    Hobbes Major is not of a scientific bent.

verb (used without object)

  1. to follow a major course of study:

    He is majoring in physics.

Major

2

[ mey-jer ]

noun

  1. Clarence, born 1936, U.S. novelist and poet.
  2. John, born 1943, British political leader: prime minister 1990–97.

major

1

/ ˈmeɪdʒə /

noun

  1. military an officer immediately junior to a lieutenant colonel
  2. a person who is superior in a group or class
  3. a large or important company

    the oil majors

  4. often preceded by the music a major key, chord, mode, or scale
    1. the principal field of study of a student at a university, etc

      his major is sociology

    2. a student who is studying a particular subject as his principal field

      a sociology major

  5. a person who has reached the age of legal majority
  6. logic a major term or premise
  7. a principal or important record company, film company, etc
  8. the majors
    plural the major leagues
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. larger in extent, number, etc

    the major part

  2. of greater importance or priority
  3. very serious or significant

    a major disaster

  4. main, chief, or principal
  5. of, involving, or making up a majority
  6. music
    1. (of a scale or mode) having notes separated by the interval of a whole tone, except for the third and fourth degrees, and seventh and eighth degrees, which are separated by a semitone
    2. relating to or employing notes from the major scale

      a major key

    3. postpositive denoting a specified key or scale as being major

      C major

    4. denoting a chord or triad having a major third above the root
    5. (in jazz) denoting a major chord with a major seventh added above the root
  7. logic constituting the major term or major premise of a syllogism
  8. of or relating to a student's principal field of study at a university, etc
  9. the elder: used after a schoolboy's surname if he has one or more younger brothers in the same school

    Price major

  10. of full legal age
  11. postpositive Leisure:Bell-ringing of, relating to, or denoting a method rung on eight bells
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. intrusually foll byin to do one's principal study (in a particular subject)

    to major in English literature

  2. intrusually foll byon to take or deal with as the main area of interest

    the book majors on the peasant dishes

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Major

2

/ ˈmeɪdʒə /

noun

  1. MajorJohn1943MBritishPOLITICS: politicianPOLITICS: statesmanPOLITICS: prime minister Sir John. born 1943, British Conservative politician: Chancellor of the Exchequer (1989–90); prime minister (1990–97)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈmajorship, noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of major1

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin, comparative of magnus “great, large”; replacing Middle English maio(u)r, majour, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above; majesty
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Word History and Origins

Origin of major1

C15 (adj): from Latin, comparative of magnus great; C17 (n, in military sense): from French, short for sergeant major
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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

That hit California’s exports of major farm products, bringing losses for growers of walnuts, almonds and other crops.

Organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics also say the MMR vaccine — which protects against measles, mumps and rubella and is a major target of the anti-vax movement — is safe.

While Musk and Ramaswamy have been talking a big game in promising to usher in a new era of austerity in America, there’s a major constitutional issue standing in their way — at least for now.

From Salon

For many service workers and restaurant employees, access to reliable and affordable childcare continues to be a major struggle within the industry.

From Salon

The insurgents’ sweep into power concludes an astonishing Turkish-backed offensive that saw them overturn a years-long stalemate to overrun major cities in less than two weeks.

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