major
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: note: r
enpr: mā'jə
ipa: /ˈmeɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/
ipa: [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒɚ(ɹ)]
ipa: [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒə(ɹ)]
ipa: [ˈmeːd͡ʒɚ(ɹ)]
ipa: [ˈmæɪ̯d͡ʒə(ɹ)]
ipa: [ˈmɛjd͡ʒə(ɹ)]
rhymes: -eɪdʒə(ɹ)
Forms: form: more major
form: most major
form: majour
Etymology: 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.
Senses: examples: text: 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.
ref: 2013 June 13, Karen McVeigh, “US supreme court rules human genes cannot be patented”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 10:
glosses: Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.
examples: text: the major part of the assembly
synonyms: main
glosses: Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
synonyms: considerable
glosses: Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
examples: text: to earn some major cash
text: a major exhibition
text: I gotta take a whiz test to my PO / I know I failed 'cause I done smoked major weed, bro
ref: 1995, “I Got 5 on It”, in Operation Stackola, performed by Luniz:
text: [B]y the time I turned back to the screen, Jamie was fully dressed, major bummer.
ref: 1995, Paul Vautin, Turn It Up!, Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia, page 129:
glosses: Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.
examples: text: to suffer from a major illness
topics: medicine
sciences
glosses: Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.
examples: text: major children
glosses: Of full legal age, having attained majority.
topics: education
glosses: Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
examples: text: major scale
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
glosses: Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. (of a scale)
examples: text: major third
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
glosses: 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)
examples: text: major triad
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
glosses: 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.
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
glosses: (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.
topics: campanology
entertainment
history
human-sciences
lifestyle
music
sciences
glosses: Bell changes rung on eight bells.
glosses: Indicating the elder of two brothers (or the eldest of three), appended to a surname in public schools.
topics: human-sciences
logic
mathematics
philosophy
sciences
glosses: Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism. (of a term)
topics: human-sciences
logic
mathematics
philosophy
sciences
glosses: Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism. (of a premise)
Derived terms: A-flat major
aid-major
A major
A-sharp major
Asia Major
B-flat major
B major
brigade major
C-flat major
C major
comajor
C-sharp major
Daphne Major
D-flat major
D major
E-flat major
E major
F-flat major
fife major
F major
F-sharp major
generalmajor
G-flat major
G major
G-sharp major
in a major key
Llantwit Major
majorally
major appliance
major arcana
majorate
major axis
major chord
major depressive disorder
major diameter
major element
majoress
major general
major interval
majorise
majoritarily
majority
majorization
major junior
major key
major league
majorly
major mode
major ninth
major party
major piece
major planet
major premise
major prophet
major scale
major score
major second
major seventh
major seventh chord
major sixth
major suit
major term
major third
major triad
semimajor
sergeant major
St Brides Major
St Columb Major
submajor
supermajor
surgeon major
Related terms: état major
labia major
pectoralis major
psoas major
rectus capitis posterior major
rhomboid major
teres major
vis major
zygomaticus major