minor

1 of 3

adjective

mi·​nor ˈmī-nər 

1

: inferior in importance, size, or degree : comparatively unimportant

a minor artist

2

: not having reached majority (see majority sense 2)

He is the father of minor children.

3

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

his minor subjects for his M.A. were plant ecology and entomology

—Current Biography

minor

2 of 3

noun

1

: a person who is not yet old enough to have the rights of an adult

2

: a minor musical interval, scale, key, or mode

3

a

: a minor academic subject

b

: a student taking a specified minor

4

: a determinant or matrix obtained from a given determinant or matrix by eliminating the row and column in which a given element lies

5

minors plural : minor league baseball

—used with the

minor

3 of 3

verb

minored; minoring; minors

intransitive verb

: to take courses in a minor subject

Synonyms

Adjective

• inferior
• junior
• less
• lesser
• lower
• smaller
• subordinate

Examples of minor in a Sentence

Adjective

Her role in the project was minor.

I'm not worried about minor details.

The grant covered only a minor part of the cost.

The delay will be minor.

He suffered a minor heart attack.

Noun

families with children who are still minors

The nightclub was shut down for selling alcohol to a minor.

She majored in chemistry with a minor in biology.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In some cases, lawyers said students had their legal statuses altered for minor traffic violations, such as unpaid parking tickets. —Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 16 May 2025

Nina and Jim are forced to work overtime to re-center key story components that get lost amid more minor twists and turns. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 May 2025

Noun

The Republican mayor responded with ads criticizing Ewing’s for supporting transgender athletes and gender-affirming care for minors. —Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 15 May 2025

Prohibits Medicaid funds for gender transition for minors: The measure would ban federal Medicaid funds from going to gender-affirming care for transgender minors. —Lauren Peller, ABC News, 13 May 2025

Verb

Emma, one of about 20 Oxford survivors at the university, decided to minor in women’s studies, hoping to one day get a doctorate, maybe become a professor and teach students like her. —John Woodrow Cox, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Feb. 2023

While earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism, Carly chose to minor in event planning. —Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Dec. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Latin, smaller, inferior; akin to Old High German minniro smaller, Latin minuere to lessen

First Known Use

Adjective

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1926, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing minor

• minor axis
• minor element
• minor in
• minor league
• minor leaguer
• minor miracle
• minor order
• minor party
• minor penalty
• minor planet
• minor premise
• minor seminary
• minor suit
• minor term
• thalassemia minor

Rhymes for minor

• diner
• finer
• liner
• miner
• schreiner
• seiner
• shiner
• shriner
• signer
• viner
• weiner
• airliner

Kids Definition

minor

1 of 2 adjective

mi·​nor ˈmī-nər 

1

: less in size, importance, or value

a minor poet

a minor injury

2

: not having reached the age to have full civil rights

3

a

: relating to or being a musical scale in which the third tone is lowered a half step

b

: based on a minor scale

minor key

minor

2 of 2 noun

: a person who has not reached the age to have full civil rights

Medical Definition

minor

1 of 2 adjective

mi·​nor ˈmī-nər 

: not serious or involving risk to life

minor illness

a minor operation

compare major

minor

2 of 2 noun

: a person of either sex under the age of legal qualification for adult rights and responsibilities that has traditionally been 21 in the United States but is now 18 in many states or sometimes less under certain circumstances (as marriage or pregnancy)

Legal Definition

minor

1 of 2 noun

mi·​nor

: a person who has not yet reached the age of majority compare adult, juvenile, major

minor

2 of 2 adjective

1

a

: being less important or serious

a minor official

a minor offense

b

: involving, relating to, or dealing with less important matters

2

: having the status of a minor

minor children