major
Part of speech: adj
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: campanology
education
entertainment
history
human-sciences
lifestyle
logic
mathematics
medicine
music
philosophy
sciences
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s
Proto-Indo-European *-yōs
Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂yōs
Proto-Italic *magjōs
Latin maiorder.
Middle English major
English major
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.
Noun sense 1 is a shortening of sergeant major, perhaps after Spanish mayor in the same sense.
Inflected forms:
form: more major
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most major
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: majour
pos: adj
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: majors
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: majoring
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: majored
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: majored
pos: verb
tags: past
form: majour
pos: verb
tags: alternative
obsolete
Senses:
gloss: Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.
pos: adj
tags: attributive
examples: 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.
gloss: Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
pos: adj
tags: attributive
examples: the major part of the assembly
The three major religions are Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.
The five major religions are Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
gloss: Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
pos: adj
tags: attributive
examples: The building underwent a major renovation.
gloss: Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.
pos: adj
tags: attributive
examples: to earn some major cash
a major exhibition
I gotta take a whiz test to my PO / I know I failed 'cause I done smoked major weed, bro
[B]y the time I turned back to the screen, Jamie was fully dressed, major bummer.
gloss: Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.
pos: adj
tags: attributive
examples: to suffer from a major illness
gloss: Of full legal age, having attained majority.
pos: adj
examples: major children
gloss: Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
pos: adj
gloss: Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. (of a scale)
pos: adj
examples: major scale
gloss: 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)
pos: adj
examples: major third
gloss: 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)
pos: adj
examples: major triad
gloss: (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.
pos: adj
tags: postpositional
gloss: Bell changes rung on eight bells.
pos: adj
gloss: Indicating the elder of two brothers (or the eldest of three), appended to a surname in public schools.
pos: adj
tags: UK
dated
gloss: Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism. (of a term)
pos: adj
gloss: Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism. (of a premise)
pos: adj
gloss: Used in a phrasal verb: major in.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
Antonyms: minor
Related words: état major
labia major
pectoralis major
psoas major
rectus capitis posterior major
rhomboid major
teres major
vis major
zygomaticus major
Derived words: 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
St Brides Major
St Columb Major
submajor
supermajor
surgeon major
Translations:
lang: Afrikaans
word: majeur
lang: Bulgarian
word: мажорен
roman: mažoren
lang: Catalan
word: major
lang: Czech
word: dur
lang: Finnish
word: duuri
lang: French
word: majeur
lang: German
word: dur
lang: Greek
word: μείζων
roman: meízon
lang: Hungarian
word: dúr
lang: Italian
word: maggiore
lang: Norwegian
word: dur
lang: Persian
word: ماژور
roman: mâžor
lang: Polish
word: dur
lang: Portuguese
word: maior
lang: Russian
word: мажо́рный
roman: mažórnyj
lang: Spanish
word: mayor
lang: Turkish
word: majör
lang: Afrikaans
word: majeur
lang: Finnish
word: suuri
lang: French
word: majeur
lang: Hungarian
word: nagy
lang: Italian
word: maggiore
lang: Portuguese
word: maior
lang: Russian
word: мажо́рный
roman: mažórnyj