major
Meaning
-
- Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.
- Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
- Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
- Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.
- Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.
- 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)
- 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)
- (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, 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)
Synonyms
special subject
of the full legal age
domineer over
subject of study
university major
of import
sr.
Frequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈmeɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/
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.
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Notes