/ˈmeɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/, [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒə(ɹ)], [ˈmɛjd͡ʒə(ɹ)]
OriginFrom 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.
- attributiveGreater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.
“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”
- attributiveGreater in number, quantity, or extent.
“the major part of the assembly”
- attributiveNotable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
- attributiveProminent or significant in size, amount, or degree.
“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”
- attributiveInvolving great risk, serious, life-threatening.
“to suffer from a major illness”
- Of full legal age, having attained majority.
- Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
- Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. (of a scale)
- 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.
- postpositional(of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.
- Bell changes rung on eight bells.
- UK, datedIndicating the elder of two brothers (or the eldest of three), appended to a surname in public schools.
- Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism. (of a term)
- Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism. (of a premise)
- A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, between captain and lieutenant colonel.
“He used to be a major in the army.”
- An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier.
- A person of legal age.
- abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsisEllipsis of major key.
- abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsisEllipsis of major interval.
- abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsisEllipsis of major scale.
- A system of change-ringing using eight bells.
- A large, commercially successful company, especially a record label that is bigger than an indie.
“At the end of last year, the band re-signed to XL for another three albums, despite being chased by majors that included Island, says manager Mike Champion of Midi Management.”
- Australia, Canada, New-Zealand, USThe principal subject or course of a student working toward a degree at a college or university.
“Midway through his second year of college, he still hadn't chosen a major.”
- Australia, Canada, New-Zealand, USA student at a college or university specializing on a given area of study.
- abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsisEllipsis of major term.
- abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsisEllipsis of major premise.
- abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsisEllipsis of major suit.
- CanadianA touchdown, or major score.
- A goal.
- British, dated, slangAn elder brother (especially at a public school).
- A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest.
- Title for an army officer with the rank of major.
- intransitiveUsed in a phrasal verb: major in.
- countable, uncountableA surname.
- countable, uncountableAn unincorporated community in Owsley County, Kentucky, United States.
- countable, uncountableA village in the Rural Municipality of Prairiedale, No. 321, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Formsmore major(comparative) · most major(superlative) · majour(alternative, obsolete) · majors(plural) · majors(present, singular, third-person) · majoring(participle, present) · majored(participle, past) · majored(past) · Majors(plural)
Source: Wiktionary