MINOR Synonyms: 165 Similar and Opposite Words

minor 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmī-nər

Definition of minor

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

as in smaller

of little or less value or merit a minor poet who is little read nowadays

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in small

lacking importance only a minor detail, which we can easily disregard for the moment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

minor

2 of 2

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

Adjective

During the offseason, Tuggle underwent minor surgery for a knee injury and was involved in a car crash. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026 Health Ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr said most of the injuries were minor, but 21 people remain hospitalized. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Noun

Shorty after that, though, the Hurricanes were tagged with a bench minor — giving the Flyers more than a minute on a two-man advantage, and a golden opportunity to retie the score. — Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Myers has been charged with child abuse and permitting an unauthorized minor to drive, according to online court records reviewed by PEOPLE. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 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

Definition of lesser

Adjective

Teams — worried about how a politically defiant Black quarterback on the roster would impact their bottom lines — over the next several seasons signed dozens of inferior quarterbacks to round out their depth charts.

— Mike Jones, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Luckily for the Hurricanes, the rest of their game on defense has held up against a pair of inferior opponents.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of inferior

Adjective

Rooms This is a big hotel, with 177 rooms and suites that range in size and shape from the smallest superior rooms to the impressive top-floor penthouse.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
Newsom, in his veto message at the time, cited concerns about stifling innovation and said smaller AI models, which would have been exempt from the law, could also be dangerous.

— Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of small

Adjective

Human fabulists aren’t the only ones who sometimes lure tourists to less-than-authentic sites.

— Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
Instead, Covert argued the legislation was likely to spur more businesses to choose Texas or other states, spurring building in places with less climate and environmental protections.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of less

Adjective

Those movies are mean and funny, while this one is just mean.

— Katie Rife, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
Sally and Gillian blend up some mean frozen margaritas — a Frances and Jet tradition — during the reception, which is held on the old house’s moonlit lawn.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of mean

Adjective

Another clever stunt that Althoff pulled off on the The Really Good Podcast was that she was involved in a slight-of-hand brand stunt with L’Oreal’s CeraVe.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Chubb was a slight disappointment in his Bills debut from a pass-rushing perspective.

— Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of slight

Noun

Getty An island that had spent decades pairing glamour with license was perhaps the wrong place to entrust an adolescent to unusually permissive relatives.

— Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026
One adolescent possibly had contact with the bat, officials said.

— Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of adolescent

Browse Nearby Words

mink

minor

minorities

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Minor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/minor. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of minor

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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