1
: inferior in importance, size, or degree : comparatively unimportant
a minor artist
2
: not having reached majority (see majority sense 2)
He is the father of minor children.
3
a
: having half steps between the second and third, the fifth and sixth, and sometimes the seventh and eighth degrees
minor scale
b
: based on a minor scale
minor key
c
: less by a semitone than the corresponding major interval
minor third
d
: having a minor third above the root
minor triad
4
: not serious or involving risk to life
minor illness
5
: of or relating to an academic subject requiring fewer courses than a major
his minor subjects for his M.A. were plant ecology and entomology—
Current Biography
Current Biography1
: a person who is not yet old enough to have the rights of an adult
2
: a minor musical interval, scale, key, or mode
3
a
: a minor academic subject
b
: a student taking a specified minor
4
: a determinant or matrix obtained from a given determinant or matrix by eliminating the row and column in which a given element lies
5
minors plural
: minor league baseball
—used with the
Synonyms
Examples of minor in a Sentence
Adjective
Her role in the project was minor.
I'm not worried about minor details.
The grant covered only a minor part of the cost.
The delay will be minor.
He suffered a minor heart attack.
Noun
families with children who are still minors
The nightclub was shut down for selling alcohol to a minor.
She majored in chemistry with a minor in biology.
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Gallagher, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
According to the commission, there have been 113 reports of overheating, including seven reports of fires and one report of a minor burn injury.
—Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 22 Nov. 2024
Amber Hunt, The Enquirer, 21 Nov. 2024
Alaska Airlines: $50 each way per minor for nonstop flights; $75 each way per minor for flights with layovers.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 13 Nov. 2024
John Woodrow Cox, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Feb. 2023
While earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism, Carly chose to minor in event planning.
—Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for minor 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Victims can suffer from a range of injuries, from minor bruises to severe, life-altering conditions.
—Chris Gallagher, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
According to the commission, there have been 113 reports of overheating, including seven reports of fires and one report of a minor burn injury.
—Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
Hospital officials could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday but a law enacted earlier this year in Ohio prohibits both hormone therapies and surgeries for transgender minors.
—Amber Hunt, The Enquirer, 21 Nov. 2024
Alaska Airlines: $50 each way per minor for nonstop flights; $75 each way per minor for flights with layovers.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 13 Nov. 2024
Verb
Emma, one of about 20 Oxford survivors at the university, decided to minor in women’s studies, hoping to one day get a doctorate, maybe become a professor and teach students like her.
—John Woodrow Cox, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Feb. 2023
While earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism, Carly chose to minor in event planning.
—Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for minor
Articles Related to minor
Dictionary Entries Near minor
Cite this Entry
“Minor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minor. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
minor
1 of 2 adjective
mi·nor
ˈmī-nər 
1
: less in size, importance, or value
a minor poet
a minor injury
2
: not having reached the age to have full civil rights
3
a
: relating to or being a musical scale in which the third tone is lowered a half step
b
: based on a minor scale
minor key
minor
2 of 2 noun
: a person who has not reached the age to have full civil rights
Medical Definition
minor
2 of 2 noun
: a person of either sex under the age of legal qualification for adult rights and responsibilities that has traditionally been 21 in the United States but is now 18 in many states or sometimes less under certain circumstances (as marriage or pregnancy)
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