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
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Recent Examples of minor
Lise Pedersen, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
There are no plans for tweaks to make the London course faster, though very minor adjustments sometimes have to be made.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Ava Berger, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
After Barkey went off for a third-period delay-of-the-game minor, Couturier won the initial defensive zone draw and cleared the puck.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for minor
Adjective
Aline is unexpectedly freed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as authorities release detainees accused of minor offenses to free up the overpopulated jails.
—Lise Pedersen, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
There are no plans for tweaks to make the London course faster, though very minor adjustments sometimes have to be made.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
Over hours of closed-door testimony, the Clintons both denied knowledge of Epstein's crimes prior to his guilty plea in 2008 for soliciting prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution.
—Ava Berger, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
After Barkey went off for a third-period delay-of-the-game minor, Couturier won the initial defensive zone draw and cleared the puck.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 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
-
Ceija Stojka’s small paintings at the Drawing Center swarm with such harrowing incident that viewers may not spot the mystery in the bottom right corner of many of her canvases.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Pistons are small favorites on the road for Game 3.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
No further information will be released, the department said, because the individual is a juvenile.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Additionally, the researchers found that this wear was present only in adult specimens, was completely absent in juveniles, and was missing from the jaws of squids.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The decision to sack Liam Rosenior after less than four months in charge is not one Chelsea took lightly.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Mavromatis alleges she was let go from the company less than three weeks after her return.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The high-flying version of the Avs has yet to arrive in this series, but the defensively-sound edition backed by strong goaltending continues to be enough against an inferior Kings club.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In these three scenarios, then, the money market account is inferior in two of them, while the returns will be identical for the shorter, 3-month option.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Knicks are slight favorites to win Game 4, and a win would flip things back around.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
If your car is equipped with front radar or driver‑assist features, dirt on the sensor or slight misalignment from a parking‑lot bump could also be the culprit.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As an adolescent, he was diagnosed with dyslexia and struggled through school.—
Jen Murphy,
Robb Report,
26 Apr. 2026
-
He was brought to the center as an adolescent with a broken wing (possibly due to a collision with a car) and can no longer fly properly.—
Margherita Bassi,
Popular Science,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Doping with the aluminum stuff boosted the mean conductivity by a factor of 10.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Of course, the first three, the meanest comments of the bunch, are all solidly directed at women.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Minor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/minor. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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