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Added 3 October 2026

major

/ˈmeɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/ adjective

Categories: Describing WordsEveryday Words

In Latin: maior, major Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about major at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. : Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest. Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
    the major part of the assembly
  2. Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.
  3. Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
    the major part of the assembly

noun

  1. A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, between captain and lieutenant colonel.
    He used to be a major in the army.
  2. An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier.
  3. A person of legal age.

verb

  1. Used in a phrasal verb: major in.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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