marjoram

American  

[mahr-jer-uhm] / ˈmɑr dʒər əm /

noun

1. any of several aromatic herbs belonging to the genus Origanum, of the mint family, especially O. majorana sweet marjoram, having leaves used as seasoning in cooking.

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marjoram British  

/ ˈmɑːdʒərəm /

noun

1. Also called: sweet marjoram.  an aromatic Mediterranean plant, Origanum (or Marjorana ) hortensis, with small pale purple flowers and sweet-scented leaves, used for seasoning food and in salads: family Lamiaceae (labiates)

2. Also called: wild marjoram.   pot marjoram.   origan.  a similar and related European plant, Origanum vulgare See also oregano origanum

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Etymology

Origin of marjoram

1350–1400; Middle English majorane < Medieval Latin majorana, variant of majoraca, alteration of Latin amāracus < Greek amā́rakos marjoram

Compare meaning

How does marjoram compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• marjoram vs. oregano

Example Sentences

You can almost imagine its former life — department memos, summons from the dean, the occasional illicit letter between English faculty — now repurposed to dole out parsley, marjoram, garlic powder.

From Salon • Aug. 26, 2025

Tarragon, fennel, savory, sage, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, thyme, mint, oregano and more grow wild.

From Washington Times • Jun. 20, 2023

Fragrant with marjoram and parsley, it put a point on the ÖBB scoreboard.

From New York Times • Apr. 6, 2023

Only eight months into production, Ditto Foods is growing herbs for the holidays such as sage, thyme, rosemary and marjoram.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 25, 2022

He loaded me down with three pots of sweet marjoram, which he said everyone needs in his or her garden.

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt