major

verb

majored; majoring; majors

intransitive verb

: to pursue an academic major

majored in English

Examples of major in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nine people suffered injuries ranging from minor to major. —Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2026

However, since the Bills have been dealing with injuries to Cole Bishop and Taylor Rapp, Hancock has majored at safety for most of the practice week. —Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2025

The young woman who liked to talk so much majored, of course, in speech. —Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025

At Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business, Dillard majored and excelled in accounting and finance, graduating summa cum laude. —Jack McCullough, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing major

• command sergeant major
• drum major
• main/major road
• major axis
• major depression
• major depressive disorder
• major general
• major histocompatibility complex
• major in
• major league
• major-medical
• major on
• major order
• major party
• major penalty
• major premise
• major seminary
• major suit
• major term
• sergeant major
• sergeant major of the army
• sergeant major of the marine corps
• staff sergeant major
• thalassemia major
• the major leagues

Rhymes for major

• ager
• gauger
• pager
• stager
• wager
• yager
• teenager

Kids Definition

major

1 of 3 adjective

ma·​jor ˈmā-jər 

1

a

: greater in dignity, rank, or importance

a major poet

b

: greater in number, quantity, or extent

received the major part of the blame

2

a

: notable in effect or scope

a major improvement

b

: significant in size, amount, or degree

made some major cash

3

: of or relating to an academic major

4

a

: having half steps between the third and fourth and the seventh and eighth degrees

major scale

b

: based on a major scale

major key

major chord

major

2 of 3 noun

1

: a military commissioned officer with a rank just below that of lieutenant colonel

2

a

: the chief subject studied by a student

chose history as his major

b

: a student specializing in a field

a French major

major

3 of 3 verb

majored; majoring

ˈmāj-(ə-)riŋ

: to study an academic major

major in English

Medical Definition

major

adjective

ma·​jor ˈmā-jər 

: involving grave risk : serious

a major illness

a major surgical procedure

compare minor

Legal Definition

major

noun

ma·​jor

: a person who has attained majority compare minor