Pronunciation

/ˈmaɪnər/

Definitions

• Noun (minor): A person who has not yet reached the age of legal adulthood, typically below 18 years old. For example: “She’s still a minor, so she can’t vote.”
• Adjective (minor): Less important, smaller, or of lesser degree. For example: “The minor injuries were treated first.”
• Adjective (in music): Referring to a musical key or scale that is one semitone lower than the relative major. For example: “Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is written in C minor.”
• Noun (in academia): A subject of secondary importance or a subsidiary course of study within a larger degree program. For example: “She chose psychology as her major and sociology as her minor.”

Phrases

• “Minor detail”: An unimportant or trivial matter. Example: “The color of the walls was just a minor detail in the overall plan.”
• “Minority group”: A social group that constitutes less than half of the population in a given society. Example: “Women historically have been part of the minority group in many professional fields.”
• “Minor in [a subject]”: To pursue a secondary area of academic concentration alongside a primary major. Example: “He majored in Computer Science but minored in Philosophy.”

Example Sentences

• Noun (age): “Once he turned 18, he was no longer considered a minor under the law.”
• Adjective (importance): “The minor flaws did not detract from the overall beauty of the painting.”
• Adjective (music): “Her favorite piece to play on the piano is Chopin’s Nocturne in E minor.”
• Noun (academia): “In college, she decided to minor in Spanish to complement her International Relations major.”

Synonyms

• Junior (for the noun referring to a young person)
• Lesser (for the adjective describing something of lesser importance)
• Subordinate (for the adjective in the context of importance)
• Insignificant (for the adjective when referring to something small or unimportant)
• Underage (for the noun denoting someone below the legal age of majority)