Meaning & use
minor
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Small or not very serious, important or noticeable when compared with other things of the same kind.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: a minor injury; it is rarely used with very.
Patterns
- a minor problem
- minor changes
- minor injury
The accident caused only minor damage to the car.
She made a few minor changes to the report.
It was a minor detail, so nobody mentioned it.
nouncountablelegal
A person who is not yet legally an adult.
Grammar: Often appears in legal contexts: sales to minors are banned.
Patterns
- a minor under 18
- sell something to a minor
The shop was fined for selling alcohol to a minor.
Because she is a minor, her parents must sign the form.
Minors are not allowed to enter without an adult.
nouncountableAmerican
A smaller subject of study at a university, chosen alongside the main one.
Grammar: Often used with in: a minor in music.
Patterns
- a minor in something
He has a major in biology and a minor in Spanish.
She added a minor in statistics to her degree.
A minor requires fewer courses than a major.
verbintransitiveAmerican
To study something as your secondary subject at college.
Grammar: Followed by in: she minors in French.
Patterns
- minor in something
I'm majoring in law and minoring in history.
He minored in philosophy at college.
Many students minor in a language.
adjectiveafter a verbmusic
Describing a musical scale or key that gives a gentler or sadder sound than a major one.
Grammar: Follows the note name: A minor, not minor A.
Patterns
- in a minor key
- A minor
The song is written in a minor key.
She played a sad tune in D minor.
Minor chords often sound serious or wistful.
Word forms
| plural (noun) | minors |
|---|---|
| third person singular (verb) | minors |
| past tense (verb) | minored |
| -ing form (verb) | minoring |
Common combinations
- minor injury
- The driver suffered only minor injuries.
- minor issue
- It is a minor issue and easy to fix.
- minor role
- He played a minor role in the film.
- minor details
- Don't worry about the minor details.
- minor offense
- Parking illegally is only a minor offense.
- in a minor key
- The lullaby is composed in a minor key.
Synonyms and how they differ
- small
- Describes size and does not suggest importance, while minor suggests low importance even for a large thing.
- trivial
- Is stronger and means so unimportant that it hardly matters.
- slight
- Suggests a small degree, such as slight pain, where minor suggests low seriousness.
- secondary
- Means second in rank and still meaningful, while minor may mean almost negligible.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: minor or miner?
minor vs miner
A miner digs minerals underground and is pronounced the same way as minor, but the spelling and meaning differ.
Practice
The doctor said the cut was only a ____ injury and needed just a bandage.
Choose one answer.
Minor means not serious. Miner is a homophone for a mine worker, major is the opposite, and minority is a noun for a smaller group.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “minor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.