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
Jonas Hanway3
: 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
Besides being massively ignorant, Musk and his minions are drunk on ideology.
—Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025
Through their minions in the media, in Big Pharma, and woke teachers manipulating their children's minds, these elites hold an iron grip on society.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Kristen Amanda Smith and Mary Rose Brendel, as Regina’s minions, stay sympathetic too, thanks to strong comic timing and the ability to convey their characters’ insecurities through the laughs.
—Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
Small medieval villages are demolished in the wake of hell’s minions pouring forth from their dimension and into the next.
—Kazuma Hashimoto, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for minion
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Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025
Through their minions in the media, in Big Pharma, and woke teachers manipulating their children's minds, these elites hold an iron grip on society.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Kristen Amanda Smith and Mary Rose Brendel, as Regina’s minions, stay sympathetic too, thanks to strong comic timing and the ability to convey their characters’ insecurities through the laughs.
—Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
Small medieval villages are demolished in the wake of hell’s minions pouring forth from their dimension and into the next.
—Kazuma Hashimoto, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for minion
Cite this Entry
“Minion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minion. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
minion
noun
min·ion
ˈmin-yən 
1
: a person who obediently serves or works for a usually powerful person or organization
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