major

== English == === Alternative forms === majour (obsolete) === 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. Noun sense 1 is a shortening of sergeant major, perhaps after Spanish mayor in the same sense. === Pronunciation === enPR: mā'jə(r) IPA(key): /ˈmeɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒə(ɹ)] (Standard Southern British) IPA(key): [ˈmɛjd͡ʒə(ɹ)] (General American, Canada) IPA(key): [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒɚ] (Canada) IPA(key): [ˈmeːd͡ʒɚ] (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): [ˈmæɪ̯d͡ʒə(ɹ)] Rhymes: -eɪdʒə(ɹ) === Adjective === major (comparative more major, superlative most major) (attributive): Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest. Greater in number, quantity, or extent. Synonym: main Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope. Synonym: considerable The building underwent a major renovation. Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree. (medicine) Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening. Of full legal age, having attained majority. (education) Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization. (music): Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. (of a scale) Equivalent to that between the tonic and another note of a major scale, and greater by a semitone than the corresponding minor interval. (of an interval) Having a major third above the root. (postpositive) (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect. (campanology) Bell changes rung on eight bells. (UK, dated) Indicating the elder of two brothers (or the eldest of three), appended to a surname in public schools. (logic) Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism. (of a term) Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism. (of a premise) ==== Antonyms ==== minor ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === major (plural majors) (military) A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, between captain and lieutenant colonel. An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier. Meronyms: drum major, trumpet major A person of legal age. Antonym: minor (music): Ellipsis of major key. Ellipsis of major interval. Ellipsis of major scale. (campanology) A system of change-ringing using eight bells. A large, commercially successful company, especially a record label that is bigger than an indie. (education, Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand) The principal subject or course of a student working toward a degree at a college or university. Synonym: (UK) course A student at a college or university specializing on a given area of study. (logic): Ellipsis of major term. Ellipsis of major premise. (bridge) Ellipsis of major suit. (Canadian football) A touchdown, or major score. (Australian rules football) A goal. (British slang, dated) An elder brother (especially at a public school). (entomology) A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest. (obsolete) Alternative form of mayor and mair. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === major (third-person singular simple present majors, present participle majoring, simple past and past participle majored) (intransitive) Used in a phrasal verb: major in. ==== Derived terms ==== double-major ==== Related terms ==== majorant ==== Translations ==== === References === “major”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022. “major”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present. === Anagrams === Jarmo, joram == Catalan == === Etymology === Inherited from Latin maiōrem. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern) [məˈʒu] IPA(key): (Balearic, Central) [məˈʒo] IPA(key): (Valencia) [maˈd͡ʒoɾ] IPA(key): (Northwestern) [maˈʒo] === Adjective === major m or f (masculine and feminine plural majors) larger (superlative: el major / la major—largest) older (superlative: el major / la major—oldest) main, principal (music) major ==== Derived terms ==== majorista majorment ==== Related terms ==== majoria === Noun === major m (plural majors) (military) major === Noun === major m or f by sense (plural majors) someone of age, adult === Further reading === “major”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “major”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “major” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “major”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan) == Czech == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈmajor] === Noun === major m anim (relational adjective majorský) major (military) ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === “major”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957 “major”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989 == Estonian == === Etymology === Borrowed from German Major, from Spanish, from Latin maior. === Noun === major (genitive majori, partitive majorit) major (rank) ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== kindralmajor == French == === Etymology === From Middle French major, from Spanish mayor, from Latin maior. Doublet of maire, majeur, and mayeur. The use for a non-commissioned officer in the French army (since 1972) is a short form of adjudant-major or sergent-major. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ma.ʒɔʁ/ === Noun === major m or f (plural majors) (military) (France) the highest non-commissioned officer rank: sergeant major, “major” Coordinate terms: (other armies) adjudant-chef, adjudant-major (North America, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, DRC) major (field officer rank) Coordinate terms: (French army) commandant, chef, (navies) capitaine de corvette ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === “major”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Hungarian == === Etymology === From Bavarian [Term?], compare Middle High German meier, Old High German meior, meiū̌r, standard German Meier (“administrator or leaseholder of a manor”); ultimately from Latin maior (“greater; leader”). The semantic shift from the person to the place is unclear; either via their identification, or by a clipping of a derivation like majorság, majorház, majorszoba. The German equivalent terms for the place are Meierhof and Meierei (“feudal manor”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈmɒjor] Hyphenation: ma‧jor Rhymes: -or === Noun === major (plural majorok) farm ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== === References === === Further reading === (farm): major in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN. ([archaic] major [military rank]): major , redirecting to its synonym őrnagy in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN. == Interlingua == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /maˈʒor/ === Adjective === major (not comparable) comparative degree of grande: bigger == Latin == === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈmaj.jɔr] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈmaː.jor] === Adjective === major (comparative, neuter majus, positive magnus); third declension alternative spelling of maior ==== Inflection ==== Third-declension comparative adjective. === References === “major”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press "major", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887) == Polish == === Etymology === Borrowed from German Major, from Latin maior. Doublet of mer (“mayor”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈma.jɔr/ Rhymes: -ajɔr Syllabification: ma‧jor === Noun === major m pers (abbreviation mjr) major (military rank) ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “major”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎[3] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN “major”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[4] (in Polish) == Portuguese == === Etymology === Borrowed from French major. Doublet of maior and mor. === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -ɔɾ Hyphenation: ma‧jor === Noun === major m or f by sense (plural majores) (military) major (military rank) (Brazil, colloquial, used in the vocative) A term of address for someone Synonyms: amigo, chefe, grande, jogador, capitão === Noun === major m (plural majores) (Brazil) brown-chested martin (Progne tapera) Synonym: andorinha-do-campo === Adjective === major m or f (plural majores) (rare) major Synonym: maior === References === === Further reading === “major”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “major”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 “major”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026 “major”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French majeur, from Latin maior. Doublet of maior and possibly mare. === Adjective === major m or n (feminine singular majoră, masculine plural majori, feminine/neuter plural majore) major (significant) ==== Declension ==== == Serbo-Croatian == === Etymology === Borrowed from German Major. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /mǎjoːr/ Hyphenation: ma‧jor === Noun === màjōr m anim (Cyrillic spelling ма̀јо̄р) (military, Serbo-Croatian) major (rank) Synonym: tisućnik ==== Declension ==== ==== Synonyms ==== (Serbo-Croatian): bojnik == Spanish == === Alternative forms === méijor (US) === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English major. === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -eiʝoɾ Syllabification: ma‧jor === Noun === major m (plural majors) (US, Chile) academic major ==== Usage notes ==== According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed. ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === Diccionario de anglicismos del español estadounidense == Swedish == === Etymology === (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) === Pronunciation === === Noun === major c a major a Squadron Leader (in the British Royal Air Force) ==== Declension ==== === References ===