major

1 of 3

adjective

ma·​jor ˈmā-jər How to pronounce major (audio)
1
: greater in dignity, rank, importance, or interest
one of the major poets
2
: greater in number, quantity, or extent
the major part of his work
3
: of full legal age
major children
4
a
: notable or conspicuous in effect or scope : considerable
a major improvement
b
: prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree
earned some major cash
5
: involving grave risk : serious
a major illness
6
: of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization
The student's major field is geology.
7
a
: having half steps between the third and fourth and the seventh and eighth degrees
major scale
b
: based on a major scale
major key
c
: equivalent to the distance between the keynote and another tone (except the fourth and fifth) of a major scale
major third
d
: having a major third above the root
major triad

major

2 of 3

noun

1
: a person who has attained majority
2
a
: one that is superior in rank, importance, size, or performance
economic power of the oil majors
b
: a major musical interval, scale, key, or mode
3
: a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a captain and below a lieutenant colonel
4
a
: an academic subject chosen as a field of specialization
b
: a student specializing in such a field
a history major
5
majors plural : major league baseball
used with the
6
: any of several high-level tournaments in professional golf, tennis, or bowling

major

3 of 3

verb

majored; majoring; majors

intransitive verb

: to pursue an academic major
majored in English

Examples of major in a Sentence

Adjective He's one of the major figures in 19th-century U.S. history. Researchers have announced a major advance in the treatment of cancer. She played a major role in the negotiations. No major changes are expected. The grant covered a major part of the cost. Butter is one of the major ingredients in the recipe. None of his health problems are major. He suffered a major heart attack. Noun He chose history as his major and French as his minor. What was your major in college? In college, he was a history major. a club for physics majors
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Most of the national focus and major fundraising have flowed to the governor’s race. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Oct. 2024 Over the last ten years Chile has gone from a minor player in the global wine industry to become the fourth largest exporter: 230 million gallons going to 131 countries, with China its major importer. John Mariani, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
California Good salary, little to no debt: A California college guide to top-value majors Oct. 3, 2024 Will CSU meet graduation rate goals? Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024 The trio had college friends who were business majors spending all their time doing Excel manipulations or pulling data from different places, Grayeli said. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
Justin and Jayden both plan to major in business with an eye on starting in sports when their playing days are over. John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2022 Steen, who intends to major in polymer engineering at Southern Mississippi, hopes the next level will include strong performances in the Class 2A regional and sectional and possibly a trip to the state meet. Darren Day, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2023 See all Example Sentences for major 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'major.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Noun, and Verb

Middle English maiour, from Latin major, comparative of magnus great, large — more at much

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1913, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of major was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near major

Cite this Entry

“Major.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/major. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

major

1 of 3 adjective
ma·​jor ˈmā-jər How to pronounce major (audio)
1
a
: greater in dignity, rank, or importance
a major poet
b
: greater in number, quantity, or extent
received the major part of the blame
2
a
: notable in effect or scope
a major improvement
b
: significant in size, amount, or degree
made some major cash
3
: of or relating to an academic major
4
a
: having half steps between the third and fourth and the seventh and eighth degrees
major scale
b
: based on a major scale
major key
major chord

major

2 of 3 noun
1
: a military commissioned officer with a rank just below that of lieutenant colonel
2
a
: the chief subject studied by a student
chose history as his major
b
: a student specializing in a field
a French major

major

3 of 3 verb
majored; majoring
ˈmāj-(ə-)riŋ
: to study an academic major
major in English

Medical Definition

major

adjective
ma·​jor ˈmā-jər How to pronounce major (audio)
: involving grave risk : serious
a major illness
a major surgical procedure
compare minor

Legal Definition

major

noun
ma·​jor
: a person who has attained majority compare minor

Biographical Definition

Major

biographical name

Ma·​jor ˈmā-jər How to pronounce Major (audio)
Sir John 1943–     British prime minister (1990–97)

More from Merriam-Webster on major

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