minor

1 of 3

adjective

mi·​nor ˈmī-nər How to pronounce minor (audio)
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 entomologyCurrent 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

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
This copy may not be in its final form, may be updated and may contain minor transcription errors. ABC News, 24 Mar. 2024 This isn't just a case of a missing pigment or a minor discrepancy. John Swierk, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2024 According to a report at the time by Italy’s Liguria Nautica website, six crew members suffered minor injuries after a hull support in the dry dock collapsed under the strain of Nero‘s weight. Howard Walker, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2024 After multiple washes, the leggings were still in good shape except for a few loose threads around the seams and one minor patch of pilling where our team member sat on a rough surface during a hike. Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024 The rest sustained minor injuries and were either taken to hospitals or to the unification center, the post said. Jamiel Lynch, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 Another, who was not shot, suffered minor injuries. Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 Human hands have some minor distinctions among primates that make a big difference. Sabrina Sholts, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 Some suggest minor improvements of pacing, setting, and tone. Maya Binyam, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
Noun
At least 23 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors, and at least seven states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for adults, the document states. Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024 Two minors were injured in a drive-by shooting in west Tempe on Thursday evening. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 23 Mar. 2024 While much of the debate centered on gender reassignment surgery, which is relatively rare for minors, the bills went a step further and included hormone therapy and puberty blockers. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 Conservatives evoke the First Amendment in increasingly cynical ways while also passing legislation that shuts down the right to protest in the streets or attempts to kick minors and people without government I.D. off of social-media sites. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024 Custodial interference is when someone takes a minor from their lawful guardian. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 Per the facility’s rules, minors are not allowed to go by themselves. Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Maryland’s legislature unanimously endorsed a bill Thursday aimed at bolstering children’s online security, putting the state on track to become the second in the nation that strictly limits what data technology companies may gather on minors. Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 In late February, the New Jersey parents of a minor identified as E.H. filed their complaint against Merck. Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024
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

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

Dictionary Entries Near minor

Cite this Entry

“Minor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minor. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

minor

1 of 2 adjective
mi·​nor ˈmī-nər How to pronounce minor (audio)
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 How to pronounce minor (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on minor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!