1
as in lesser
having not so great importance or rank as another
some minor official with an exaggerated sense of his own importance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smaller
of little or less value or merit
a minor poet who is little read nowadays
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in small
lacking importance
only a minor detail, which we can easily disregard for the moment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of minor
Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026
Perhaps, but Alonso’s attentive gaze reworks the meaning of excitement such that a banal exchange with the nearby farmhand, and a drive into the nearby village, provide minor thrills — that is, if you’re properly settled onto Alonso’s serenely sluggish wavelength.
—Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 16 May 2026
Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
Epstein was convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for minor
Adjective
Yet the fervor, whether consequential or minor, in some ways has little to do with the actual physical experience of being in Venice, scouring the city for art.
—Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026
Perhaps, but Alonso’s attentive gaze reworks the meaning of excitement such that a banal exchange with the nearby farmhand, and a drive into the nearby village, provide minor thrills — that is, if you’re properly settled onto Alonso’s serenely sluggish wavelength.
—Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 16 May 2026
Noun
New York City’s watchdog agency is routinely denied access to child protective services records, even in the most tragic cases when a minor has died, according to a new report.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
Epstein was convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for minor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for minor
Adjective
-
Even lesser-scale incidents like the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal and the Volkswagen emissions scandal erode trust in the institutions that help make our society possible and push it forward.—
Lindsey Witmer Collins,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Toronto’s Fred VanVleet appears to be the top target, but Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have been linked to the team at various points.—
Staff Writer
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
Eggs, sushi, and crypto The account paid attention to smaller stories, too.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
-
East is a boutique hotel, some condos, and a small residential neighborhood with a few local restaurants.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Gorilla families are usually made up of one male, several females and the juveniles.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Overland High School was immediately put on lockdown, and the student was arrested on investigation of possessing a handgun as a juvenile and possession of a weapon on school grounds, police said.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some white farmers have indeed been killed, often during brutal armed robberies, but those cases account for less than one per cent of the country’s annual murder rate.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
In general, though, the maximum amount that can be garnished for consumer debt is 25% of your disposable earnings, or the amount by which your weekly income exceeds 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is less.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Husbands are also inferior house cleaners.—
Joe Salas
May 09,
New Atlas,
9 May 2026
-
Though Rogers is Christian, his story of transformation from weakling to hero certainly spoke to young Jewish boys and men, who were often inaccurately portrayed in the media and press as intellectually superior but physically inferior.—
Miriam Eve Mora,
The Conversation,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Reading scores, meanwhile, continued to decline during that period, reaching their lowest point since 1990 in eighth graders and pre-2003 levels for fourth graders; only last year did some states start to see slight improvements.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
16 May 2026
-
Sunny skies and warm temperatures are expected in Laurel on Saturday, with highs near 83 degrees before a slight chance of showers moves in late Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Gadd gained almost 90 pounds to play adult Ruben (Stuart Campbell in flashbacks), the fractured older-brother figure of Niall (Jamie Bell as an adult; Mitchell Robertson as an adolescent), while their mothers date each other.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
-
The epitome of an enfant terrible, Rimbaud was a rebellious adolescent with a tempestuous personal life (ask fellow poet Paul Verlaine).—
René Ostberg,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Rob-Will, don’t be mean to our BFF Azul!—
William Earl,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
With a mix of personalities, relationship histories and different forms of dwarfism, the group explores what love, honesty and truly belonging really mean.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Minor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/minor. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
