Major — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈmā-jər/ ma·jor

Meaning & Definition of Major

Major (adjective)

  1. greater in dignity, rank, importance, or interest
  2. greater in number, quantity, or extent
  3. of full legal age

Major (noun)

  1. a person who has attained majority
  2. one that is superior in rank, importance, size, or performance
  3. a major musical interval, scale, key, or mode

Major (verb)

  1. to pursue an academic major

Major (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. sufficiently large in size, amount, or number to merit attention

    "with several blockbuster hits under her belt, the actress now commands some major cash for appearing in a movie"

    similar: biggish, considerable, good, goodly, handsome, healthy, largish, respectable, significant, sizable, substantial, substantive, tidy
    related: big, bulky, hefty, hulking, outsize, oversize, voluminous, astronomical, bumper, colossal, elephantine, enormous, gigantic, great, herculean, huge, immense, jumbo, king-size, mammoth, massive, monstrous, monumental, prodigious, titanic, tremendous, whopping
    opposite: inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, insubstantial, negligible, nominal
    near: measly, minute, paltry, petty, picayune, picayunish, piddling, puny, trifling, trivial, unimportant, marginal, meager, slight, little, small, tiny, undersized, bitty, diminutive, miniature, pint-size, pocket, pocket-size, pygmy, smallish

  2. having great meaning or lasting effect

    "a major change in how science is taught in our high schools"

    similar: big, consequential, earth-shattering, earthshaking, eventful, historic, important, material, meaningful, momentous, monumental, much, significant, substantial, tectonic, weighty
    related: decisive, fatal, fateful, strategic, earnest, grave, heavy, serious, sincere, distinctive, exceptional, impressive, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, valuable, worthwhile, worthy, distinguished, eminent, great, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, preeminent, prestigious, famous, notorious, renowned, all-important, central, critical, crucial, essential, key, pivotal, seminal, vital
    opposite: inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, minor, negligible, slight, small, trifling, trivial, unimportant
    near: paltry, petty, worthless, anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown

Related Entry: Major league (noun)

Major league is a different word from Major. The synonyms below are for major league, not for major.

  1. the highest level of a field of endeavor

    "when you've landed a tenure-track position at that university, you're playing in the major leagues"

    similar: big league(s), big time, big(s)
    related: establishment, old guard

Related Entry: Major leaguer (noun)

Major leaguer is a different word from Major. The synonyms below are for major leaguer, not for major.

  1. one of high position or importance within a group

    "it was never a major leaguer among book publishers"

    similar: big, big boy, big cheese, big gun, big leaguer, big shot, big wheel, big-timer, bigfoot, biggie, bigwig, fat cat, heavy, heavy hitter, heavyweight, high-muck-a-muck, honcho, kahuna, kingfish, kingpin, muckety-muck, nabob, nawab, nibs, nob (chiefly British), pooh-bah, wheel
    related: baron, czar, king, lion, magnate, mogul, prince, princess, queen, tycoon, VIP
    opposite: lightweight, nobody, nonentity, nothing, twerp, whippersnapper, zero, zilch
    near: inferior, subordinate, underling, mediocrity, obscurity

Related Entry: Major (in) (verb)

Major (in) is a different word from Major. The synonyms below are for major (in), not for major.

  1. as in study

    similar: study, ascertain, descry, detect, determine, dig up, discern, discover, examine, find out, hear, hit (on or upon), run down, scare up, search (for), see, track (down), tumble (to), unearth, memorize, absorb, assimilate, digest, drink (in), imbibe, apprehend, comprehend, grasp, know, understand, get, learn, master, pick up
    opposite: unlearn, forget, misunderstand, miss, overlook, disregard, ignore, neglect

Related Entry: Major leagues (noun)

Major leagues is a different word from Major. The synonyms below are for major leagues, not for major.

  1. the highest level of a field of endeavor

    "when you've landed a tenure-track position at that university, you're playing in the major leagues"

    similar: big leagues, bigs, big times
    related: establishments, old guards

Related Entry: Major leaguers (noun)

Major leaguers is a different word from Major. The synonyms below are for major leaguers, not for major.

  1. one of high position or importance within a group

    "it was never a major leaguer among book publishers"

    similar: big boys, big cheeses, bigfeet, biggies, big guns, big leaguers, bigs, big shots, big-timers, big wheels, bigwigs, fat cats, heavies, heavy hitters, heavyweights, high-muck-a-mucks, honchos, kahunas, kingfish, kingpins, muckety-mucks, nabobs, nawabs, nibs, nobs (chiefly British), pooh-bahs, wheels
    related: barons, czars, kings, lions, magnates, moguls, princes, princesses, queens, tycoons, VIPs
    opposite: lightweights, nobodies, nonentities, shrimp, twerps, whippersnappers, zeros, zilches
    near: inferiors, subordinates, underlings, mediocrities, obscurities

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Major

The most common words with a similar meaning to Major:

biggish, considerable, good, goodly, handsome, healthy, largish, respectable, significant, sizable, substantial, substantive, tidy, big, consequential, earth-shattering, earthshaking, eventful, historic, important, material, meaningful, momentous, monumental, much, tectonic, weighty

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Major

Words with the opposite meaning of Major:

inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, insubstantial, negligible, nominal, little, minor, slight, small, trifling, trivial, unimportant

Related Words for Major

bulky, hefty, hulking, outsize, oversize, voluminous, astronomical, bumper, colossal, elephantine, enormous, gigantic, great, herculean, huge, immense, jumbo, king-size, mammoth, massive, monstrous, prodigious, titanic, tremendous, whopping, decisive, fatal, fateful, strategic, earnest

Near Antonyms of Major

measly, minute, paltry, petty, picayune, picayunish, piddling, puny, marginal, meager, tiny, undersized, bitty, diminutive, miniature, pint-size, pocket, pocket-size, pygmy, smallish, worthless, anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown

Word Forms of Major

Inflections: majored, majoring, majors

Origin & Etymology of Major

Middle English maiour, from Latin major, comparative of magnus great, large much

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Major

Words & Phrases Containing Major

major axis, major depression, major depressive disorder, major general, major histocompatibility complex, major league

Frequently Asked Questions about Major

What does "Major" mean?

"Major" means greater in dignity, rank, importance, or interest. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: greater in dignity, rank, importance, or interest. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Major"?

Other words for "Major" include biggish, considerable, good, goodly, handsome, healthy, largish and respectable. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Major" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Major"?

There are 90 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Major". Common alternatives include biggish, considerable, good, goodly, handsome, healthy, largish, respectable, significant and sizable.

What is the opposite of "Major"?

Antonyms of "Major" include inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, insubstantial, negligible, nominal, little and minor. Near antonyms include measly, minute, paltry and petty.

How do you use "Major" in a sentence?

Examples of "Major" in a sentence: "with several blockbuster hits under her belt, the actress now commands some major cash for appearing in a movie"; "a major change in how science is taught in our high schools".

Is "Major" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Major" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Major" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Major" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Major"?

"Major" is pronounced /ˈmā-jər/ and divided into syllables as ma·jor.