major

Etymology

From Middle English major, from Latin maior, comparative of magnus (“great, large; noble, important”), from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂yōs (“greater”), comparative of *meǵh₂- (“great”). Compare West Frisian majoar (“major”), Dutch majoor (“major”), French majeur. Doublet of mayor.

adj

1. (attributive):
   1. Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.
      The US supreme court has ruled unanimously that natural human genes cannot be patented, a decision that scientists and civil rights campaigners said removed a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation. 2013-06-13, Karen McVeigh, “US supreme court rules human genes cannot be patented”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 10
   2. Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
      the major part of the assembly
   3. Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
   4. Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.
      to earn some major cash
   5. (medicine) Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.
      to suffer from a major illness
2. Of full legal age, having attained majority.
   major children
3. (education) Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
4. (music):
   1. (of a scale) Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees.
      major scale
   2. (of an interval) Equivalent to that between the tonic and another note of a major scale, and greater by a semitone than the corresponding minor interval.
      major third
      1. Having a major third above the root.
         major triad
   3. (postpositive) (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.
   4. (campanology) Bell changes rung on eight bells.
5. (UK, dated) Indicating the elder of two brothers, appended to a surname in public schools.
6. (logic)
   1. (of a term) Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism.
   2. (of a premise) Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism.

noun

1. (military) A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, between captain and lieutenant colonel.
   He used to be a major in the army.
   1. An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier.
      Meronyms: drum major, trumpet major
2. A person of legal age.
3. (music):
   1. Ellipsis of major key..
   2. Ellipsis of major interval..
   3. Ellipsis of major scale..
   4. (campanology) A system of change-ringing using eight bells.
4. A large, commercially successful company, especially a record label that is bigger than an indie.
   At the end of last year, the band re-signed to XL for another three albums, despite being chased by majors that included Island, says manager Mike Champion of Midi Management. 1997, Dominic Pride, “U.S. success caps global impact of XL's prodigy”, in Billboard, volume 109, number 30, page 86
5. (education, Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand) The principal subject or course of a student working toward a degree at a college or university.
   Midway through his second year of college, he still hadn't chosen a major.
   1. A student at a college or university specializing on a given area of study.
      She is a math major.
6. (logic):
   1. Ellipsis of major term..
   2. Ellipsis of major premise..
7. (bridge) Ellipsis of major suit..
8. (Canadian football) A touchdown, or major score.
9. (Australian rules football) A goal.
10. (British slang, dated) An elder brother (especially at a public school).
11. (entomology) A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest.
12. (obsolete) Alternative form of mayor and mair.

verb

1. (intransitive) Used in a phrasal verb: major in.