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
The world premiere on Sunday – in the presence of Illumination boss Chris Meledandri and director Pierre Coffin, who is also the origin of the minions’ unintelligible chatter – kicks off one of the biggest Annecy Film Festival’s yet.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 June 2026
The two key attractions include the Bello Bay Cruise river rapids ride where yellow minions face off against purple minions and the Bello Bay Golf Cart Derby teacups ride.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
Margaret deploys this power to find Daniel and to free him from Noah and the WARDEX minions—essentially, by stunning them emotionally.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
The castle is the heart of Eternia and houses a great power — one that must be protected from Skeletor and his minions.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for minion
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Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 June 2026
The two key attractions include the Bello Bay Cruise river rapids ride where yellow minions face off against purple minions and the Bello Bay Golf Cart Derby teacups ride.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
Margaret deploys this power to find Daniel and to free him from Noah and the WARDEX minions—essentially, by stunning them emotionally.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
The castle is the heart of Eternia and houses a great power — one that must be protected from Skeletor and his minions.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
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 Jun. 2026.
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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