minor

1 of 3

adjective

mi·nor ˈmī-nər

Synonyms of minor next

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

a minor artist

: not having reached majority (see majority sense 2)

He is the father of minor children.

: having half steps between the second and third, the fifth and sixth, and sometimes the seventh and eighth degrees

minor scale

: based on a minor scale

minor key

: less by a semitone than the corresponding major interval

minor third

: having a minor third above the root

minor triad

: not serious or involving risk to life

minor illness

: 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

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

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

: a minor academic subject

: a student taking a specified minor

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

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

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The policies would automatically clear some criminal records after a certain window of time, like those for minor drug offenses or driving under the influence. —

Arcelia Martin, Dallas News, 18 May 2023 Advertisement The victim suffered minor injuries, and a bus driver and a bus aide were uninjured, police said. —

Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 17 May 2023 One person was taken to the hospital for a minor injury. —

Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 17 May 2023 The artist, Monteith said, gave her three options for design fees, ranging from $1,500 for one sketch and the ability to make one minor change, to $6,000 for multiple sketches and several changes. —

Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 17 May 2023 Keep in Mind The cap has a habit of popping off when in use—not a big deal, just a minor nuisance. —

Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2023 But the theme park is no stranger to fights: last July, three people were arrested on misdemeanor battery charges and one was hospitalized for a minor injury after being involved in a fight at the Magic Kingdom, the sheriff's office said at the time. —

Julianne Mcshane, NBC News, 17 May 2023 As of Tuesday, the weather service has listed the severity as minor, but more warnings will be sent throughout the day as the storm progresses. —

The Arizona Republic, 16 May 2023 The Illinois fringe conservative built himself a minor national reputation by shaming enemies like Donald Trump and Kevin McCarthy with salacious dirt. —

Nina Burleigh, The New Republic, 16 May 2023

Noun

Only certain drivers will be allowed to pick up minors, according to Uber. —

Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 17 May 2023 Following a search involving officers from Tustin and Westminster, police arrested Kristen Tytrell Woods, 20, of Los Angeles, and two unnamed minors. —

Gabriel San Román, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023 This isn’t Uber’s first time attempting to offer rides to unaccompanied minors. —

Bloomberg Wire, Dallas News, 17 May 2023 Epstein, a wealthy hedge fund manager who was arrested July 6, 2019, faced federal charges for allegedly trafficking minors. —

Francisco Guzman, USA TODAY, 16 May 2023 Leading medical groups in the United States, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, say transition care should be available to minors and oppose legislative bans. —

Maggie Astor, New York Times, 16 May 2023 Like most similar measures, the Texas bill bars physicians from administering to minors medications that can delay the onset of puberty, hormones or surgeries that aid in gender transition. —

Elizabeth Findell, wsj.com, 13 May 2023 The law by stripped the requirement that parents of runaway minors be contacted. —

Brian Flood, Fox News, 10 May 2023 The ban includes exceptions for minors already getting such treatments. —

Summer Ballentine, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2023

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 At this institution, everyone is required to minor in biblical studies. —

Leslie Ambriz, refinery29.com, 15 Sep. 2022 Tens of thousands of times a year, hospitals charge enormously expensive trauma alert fees for injuries so minor the patient is never admitted. —

Jay Hancock, CNN, 16 July 2021 In a news release, the school said students in the fall will be able to pursue a Bachelor of Arts or Science degree in public health and may also minor in public health. —

From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2021 The weather map on Monday shows somewhat active weather across the Great Lakes and into the Northeast, where areas of rain will mix will minor snow accumulations. —

Todd Nelson, Star Tribune, 28 Feb. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'minor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of minor was in 1526

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Minor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minor. Accessed 29 May. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

minor

1 of 2 adjective

mi·nor ˈmī-nər

: less in size, importance, or value

a minor poet

a minor injury

: not having reached the age to have full civil rights

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

: 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)