minion

1 of 2

noun (1)

min·​ion ˈmin-yən 

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 people …

—Jonas Hanway

3

: a subordinate (see subordinate entry 1 sense 1) or petty official

government minions

munnion

2 of 2

noun (2)

mun·​nion

variants or less commonly munion

ˈmənyən

or minion

ˈmin- 

plural -s

: mullion

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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.

Synonyms of minion

Noun (1)

• favorite
• darling
• pet

Examples of minion in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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

Noun

Daniel isn’t this devil’s only minion; Armand’s got an Illumination movie’s worth of cronies doing his bidding. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026

In my view, we are no longer respected by our foreign allies, the poor are getting poorer, and his wealthy minions are getting richer at our expense. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026

This iconic live-action movie features NBA superstar Michael Jordan, who is recruited by Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes, the Tune Squad, for a high-stakes game against an evil theme park owner and his minions, the Monstars, in outer space. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 July 2026

The rest of the Aquamarine team — including Cecilia’s minions, played by Tammin Sursok, Dichen Lachman and Natasha Cunningham — awaited in Australia. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle French mignon darling

Noun (2)

alteration of monial

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for minion

• inion
• minyan
• pinion
• pinyon
• dominion
• opinion

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Kids Definition

minion

noun

min·​ion ˈmin-yən 

1

: a person who obediently serves or works for a usually powerful person or organization

2

: favorite entry 1 sense 1