All Definitions for Minor
Below are all the dictionary definitions of minor:
1Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option, particularly:
2Underage, not having reached legal majority.
3Not serious, not involving risk of death, permanent injury, dangerous surgery, or extended hospitalization.
4Smaller by a diatonic semitone than the equivalent major interval.
5Incorporating a minor third interval above the (in scales) tonic or (in chords) root note, (also figurative) tending to produce a dark, discordant, sad, or pensive effect.
6Of or related to a minor, a secondary area of undergraduate study.
7Of or related to a minor, a determinate obtained by deleting one or more rows and columns from a matrix.
8Acting as the subject of the second premise of a categorical syllogism, which then also acts as the subject of its conclusion.
9The younger of two pupils (or the middle of three) with the same surname.
10Having little worth or ability
11Paltry
12Mean.
13Including both directed and undirected edges.
14A child, a person who has not reached the age of majority, consent, etc. and is legally subject to fewer responsibilities and less accountability and entitled to fewer legal rights and privileges.
15A lesser person or thing, a person, group, or thing of minor rank or in the minor leagues.
16A formally recognized secondary area of undergraduate study, requiring fewer course credits than the equivalent major.
17A person who is completing or has completed such a course of study.
18A determinant of a square matrix obtained by deleting one or more rows and columns.
19Synonym of behind: a one-point kick.
20Any of various noctuid moths in Europe and Asia, chiefly in the Oligia and Mesoligia genera.
21A leaf-cutter worker ant intermediate in size between a minim and a media.
22Changes rung on six bells.
23Used in a phrasal verb: minor in.
24Of or related to the relationship between the longa and the breve in a score.
25Having semibreves twice as long as a minim.
26Of or related to a minority party.
27An adolescent, a person above the legal age of puberty but below the age of majority.
28Synonym of subtrahend, the amount subtracted from a number.
29The younger brother of a pupil.
30A surname.
31Ellipsis of minor interval, minor scale, minor mode, minor key, minor chord, or minor triad. [(music) an interval that is either a minor second, minor third, minor sixth, or a minor seventh]
32Ellipsis of minor league (“the lower level of teams”). [An association of sports teams that plays at a level below the major leagues of a sport.]
33Ellipsis of minor penalty (“a penalty requiring a player to leave the ice for 2 minutes unless the opposing team scores”). [(ice hockey) A penalty sending the offending player to the penalty box for 2 minutes or (after the 1955–1956 season) the next score by the opposing team.]
34Ellipsis of minor suit, a card of a minor suit. [(bridge) Either of the suits of diamonds (♦) and clubs (♣), which rank lower than the major suits (spades and hearts).]
35Alternative letter-case form of Minor: a Franciscan friar, a Clarist nun. [A surname.]
36Ellipsis of minor term or minor premise.
37Short for graph minor [(graph theory) A graph which can be formed from some specified graph by performing vertex deletions, edge deletions, and edge contractions on the specified graph.]
38Ellipsis of minor point (“a lesser score formerly gained by certain actions”). [(rugby, historical) A single point awarded for a touch-in-goal and sometimes for touchdowns or dead balls.]
About antonyms for minor
Finding the right antonym for minor helps writers create contrast, clarify meaning, and add depth to their work. Defined as "Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option, particularly:", minor has 2 opposite words that can be used to express contrasting ideas.
Each antonym carries a slightly different shade of opposition. Major is the most direct opposite in most situations. Uncurl works well when the context calls for a more nuanced contrast.
When choosing an antonym, consider the connotation, formality level, and audience. Some alternatives work better in casual conversation while others shine in academic or professional writing. For example, using a more formal antonym in a business email can elevate your tone, while a casual antonym might feel more natural in creative writing or dialogue.
It is also worth noting that not all antonyms are perfectly interchangeable. The context of your sentence, the surrounding words, and the intended emotional impact all play a role in selecting the best opposite word. The list above provides the most common and useful antonyms for minor, but always read your sentence aloud to ensure the chosen word flows naturally.