minion

noun

min·​ion ˈmin-yən How to pronounce minion (audio)
1
: a servile dependent, follower, or underling
He's one of the boss's minions.
2
: one highly favored : idol
his great charity to the poor renders him the minion of the peopleJonas Hanway
3
: a subordinate (see subordinate entry 1 sense 1) or petty official
government minions

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The Origins of Minion

Minion comes from Middle French and is related to filet mignon. The two terms are connected by mignon, meaning "darling." The earliest uses of minion refer to someone who is a particular favorite of a sovereign or other important personage. Over time, however, the word developed a more derogatory sense referring to a person who is servile and unimportant.

Examples of minion in a Sentence

one of the boss's minions most of the top appointments went to the new governor's personal minions and political cronies
Recent Examples on the Web The MacGuffin that causes Knull’s generic, interstellar cockroach minions to hunt down Venom/Brock on Earth is a lifeforce-slash-tracking-device known as the Codex. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2024 In recent years, one of the farm’s employees, Juan Ramirez, has crafted giant minions out of hay bales that are visible from the freeway. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024 While there, five of Gru’s minions volunteer for Silas’ Mega Minions program, which gives each of them unique superpowers. Tim Lammers, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 Morgoth creates sun-hating minions, the orcs, during his reign of darkness — hellspawn, in other words, created by a devil figure to do his bidding. Caitlin Penzeymoog, Vox, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for minion 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'minion.' 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

Middle French mignon darling

First Known Use

circa 1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of minion was circa 1500

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Cite this Entry

“Minion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minion. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

minion

noun
min·​ion ˈmin-yən How to pronounce minion (audio)
1
: a person who obediently serves or works for a usually powerful person or organization
2

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