major
noun
- musical quality
- military rank
verb
- have as a primary subject in school
adjective
- musical quality
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈmeɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/ / [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒə(ɹ)] / [ˈmɛjd͡ʒə(ɹ)]
adj
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.
- Greater 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 innovation.”
- Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
“the major part of the assembly”
“The three major religions are Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.”
- Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
“The building underwent a major renovation.”
- Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.
“to earn some major cash”
“a major exhibition”
- Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.
“to suffer from a major illness”
- Of full legal age, having attained majority.
“major children”
- 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)
“major 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)
“major third”
- 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)
“major triad”
- (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.
- Bell changes rung on eight bells.
- Indicating 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)
name
Etymology: * As an English surname of Norman origin, from the personal name Malgier, via Old French from the Germanic name *Madalgari. See Mauger. * As a Hungarian surname, shortened from majorosgazda (see Majoros), or borrowed from German Meyer. * As a Polish, Czech, and Slovak surname, from the military rank major. * As a Jewish surname, variant of Meyer. * As a French and Occitan surname, from the adjective majeur and the military rank major. The latter appears in Canadian French, sometimes also as La Major.
- A surname.
- An unincorporated community in Owsley County, Kentucky, United States.
- A village in the Rural Municipality of Prairiedale, No. 321, Saskatchewan, Canada.
noun
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.
- 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.”
- A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, between captain and lieutenant colonel.
- A person of legal age.
- Ellipsis of major key.
- Ellipsis of major interval.
- Ellipsis 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.”
- The 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.”
- The principal subject or course of a student working toward a degree at a college or university.
“She is a math major.”
- Ellipsis of major term.
- Ellipsis of major premise.
- Ellipsis of major suit.
- A touchdown, or major score.
- A goal.
- An elder brother (especially at a public school).
- A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest.
- Alternative form of mayor and mair.
verb
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.
- Used in a phrasal verb: major in.