MAJOR
Dictionary entry overview: What does Major mean?
• MAJOR (noun)
The noun MAJOR has 4 senses:
1. a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain
2. British statesman who was prime minister from 1990 until 1997 (born in 1943)
3. a university student who is studying a particular field as the principal subject
4. the principal field of study of a student at a university
Familiarity information: MAJOR used as a noun is uncommon.
• MAJOR (adjective)
The adjective MAJOR has 8 senses:
1. of greater importance or stature or rank
2. greater in scope or effect
3. greater in number or size or amount
4. of the field of academic study in which one concentrates or specializes
5. of a scale or mode
6. of greater seriousness or danger
7. of full legal age
8. of the elder of two boys with the same family name
Familiarity information: MAJOR used as an adjective is common.
• MAJOR (verb)
The verb MAJOR has 1 sense:
1. have as one's principal field of study
Familiarity information: MAJOR used as a verb is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
• MAJOR (noun)
Meaning:
A commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain
Classified under:
Nouns denoting people
Hypernyms ("major" is a kind of...):
commissioned military officer (a commissioned officer in the army or air force or marine corp)
Domain category:
armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)
Meaning:
British statesman who was prime minister from 1990 until 1997 (born in 1943)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting people
Synonyms:
John Major; John R. Major; John Roy Major; Major
Instance hypernyms:
national leader; solon; statesman (a man who is a respected leader in national or international affairs)
Meaning:
A university student who is studying a particular field as the principal subject
Classified under:
Nouns denoting people
Context example:
she is a linguistics major
Hypernyms ("major" is a kind of...):
educatee; pupil; student (a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution)
Meaning:
The principal field of study of a student at a university
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Context example:
her major is linguistics
Hypernyms ("major" is a kind of...):
bailiwick; branch of knowledge; discipline; field; field of study; study; subject; subject area; subject field (a branch of knowledge)
• MAJOR (adjective)
Meaning:
Of greater importance or stature or rank
Context examples:
a major artist / a major role / major highways
Similar:
leading; prima; star; starring; stellar (indicating the most important performer or role)
Antonym:
minor (of lesser importance or stature or rank)
Meaning:
Greater in scope or effect
Context examples:
a major contribution / a major improvement / a major break with tradition / a major misunderstanding
Antonym:
minor (lesser in scope or effect)
Meaning:
Greater in number or size or amount
Context examples:
a major portion (a majority) of the population / Ursa Major / a major portion of the winnings
Similar:
better (more than half)
Attribute:
bulk; majority (the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part)
Antonym:
minor (inferior in number or size or amount)
Meaning:
Of the field of academic study in which one concentrates or specializes
Context example:
his major field was mathematics
Antonym:
minor (of your secondary field of academic concentration or specialization)
Meaning:
Of a scale or mode
Context examples:
major scales / the key of D major
Domain category:
music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)
Antonym:
minor (of a scale or mode)
Meaning:
Of greater seriousness or danger
Context examples:
a major earthquake / a major hurricane / a major illness
Antonym:
minor (of lesser seriousness or danger)
Meaning:
Of full legal age
Domain category:
jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)
Antonym:
minor (not of legal age)
Meaning:
Of the elder of two boys with the same family name
Context example:
Jones major
Similar:
senior (older; higher in rank; longer in length of tenure or service)
Domain region:
Britain; GB; Great Britain; U.K.; UK; United Kingdom; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland)
• MAJOR (verb)
Meaning:
Have as one's principal field of study
Classified under:
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting
Context example:
She is majoring in linguistics
Hypernyms (to "major" is one way to...):
study (be a student; follow a course of study; be enrolled at an institute of learning)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s PP
