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minor

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minor

Main Entry:: ¹mi·nor
Pronunciation:: \ˈmī-nər\
Function:: adjective
Etymology:: Latin, smaller, inferior; akin to Old High German minniro smaller, Latin minuere to lessen
Date:: 1526

1: inferior in importance, size, or degree : comparatively unimportant2: not having reached majority3 a: having half steps between the second and third, the fifth and sixth, and sometimes the seventh and eighth degrees <minor scale> b: based on a minor scale <minor key> c: less by a semitone than the corresponding major interval <minor third> d: having a minor third above the root <minor triad>4: not serious or involving risk to life <minor illness>5: of or relating to an academic subject requiring fewer courses than a major

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