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major

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: maior, Major, majór, majôr, and majör

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s
Proto-Indo-European *-yōs
Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂yōs
Proto-Italic *magjōs
Latin maiorder.
Middle English major
English major

    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.[1]

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    major (comparative more major, superlative most major)

    1. (attributive):
      1. Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.
      2. Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
        Synonym: main
        the major part of the assembly
      3. Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
        Synonym: considerable
      4. Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.
        to earn some major cash
        a major exhibition
        • 1995, “I Got 5 on It”, in Operation Stackola, performed by Luniz:
          I gotta take a whiz test to my PO / I know I failed 'cause I done smoked major weed, bro
        • 1995, Paul Vautin, Turn It Up!, Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia, page 129:
          [B]y the time I turned back to the screen, Jamie was fully dressed, major bummer.
      5. (medicine) Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.
        to suffer from a major illness
    2. Of full legal age, having attained majority.
      major children
    3. (education) Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
    4. (music):
      1. Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. (of a scale)
        major scale
      2. Equivalent to that between the tonic and another note of a major scale, and greater by a semitone than the corresponding minor interval. (of an interval)
        major third
        1. Having a major third above the root.
          major triad
      3. (postpositive) (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.
      4. (campanology) Bell changes rung on eight bells.
    5. (UK, dated) Indicating the elder of two brothers (or the eldest of three), appended to a surname in public schools.
    6. (logic)
      1. Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism. (of a term)
      2. Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism. (of a premise)

    Antonyms

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    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Noun

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    major (plural majors)

    2. (military) 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.
      1. An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier.
        Meronyms: drum major, trumpet major
    3. A person of legal age.
      Antonym: minor
    4. (music):
      1. Ellipsis of major key.
      2. Ellipsis of major interval.
      3. Ellipsis of major scale.
      4. (campanology) A system of change-ringing using eight bells.
    5. A large, commercially successful company, especially a record label that is bigger than an indie.
      • 1997, Dominic Pride, “U.S. success caps global impact of XL's prodigy”, in Billboard‎[2], volume 109, number 30, page 86:
        At the end of last year, the band re-signed to XL for another three albums, despite being chased by majors that included Island, says manager Mike Champion of Midi Management.
    6. (education, Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand) The principal subject or course of a student working toward a degree at a college or university.
      Synonym: (UK) course
      Midway through his second year of college, he still hadn't chosen a major.
      1. A student at a college or university specializing on a given area of study.
        She is a math major.
    7. (logic):
      1. Ellipsis of major term.
      2. Ellipsis of major premise.
    8. (bridge) Ellipsis of major suit.
    9. (Canadian football) A touchdown, or major score.
    10. (Australian rules football) A goal.
    11. (British slang, dated) An elder brother (especially at a public school).
    12. (entomology) A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest.
    13. (obsolete) Alternative form of mayor and mair.

    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    Verb

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    major (third-person singular simple present majors, present participle majoring, simple past and past participle majored)

    1. (intransitive) Used in a phrasal verb: major in.

    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    Translations
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    References

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    1. ^ “major, n.2”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

    Anagrams

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    Catalan

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    Etymology

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      Inherited from Latin maiōrem.

      Pronunciation

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      Adjective

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      major m or f (masculine and feminine plural majors)

      1. larger (superlative: el major / la major—largest)
      2. older (superlative: el major / la major—oldest)
      3. main, principal
      4. (music) major

      Derived terms

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      Noun

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      major m (plural majors)

      1. (military) major

      Noun

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      major m or f by sense (plural majors)

      1. someone of age, adult

      Further reading

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      Czech

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      Pronunciation

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      Noun

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      major m anim (relational adjective majorský)

      1. major (military)

      Declension

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      Declension of major (hard masculine animate)
      singular plural
      nominative major majoři
      genitive majora majorů
      dative majorovi, majoru majorům
      accusative majora majory
      vocative majore majoři
      locative majorovi, majoru majorech
      instrumental majorem majory

      Derived terms

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      Further reading

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      Estonian

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      Estonian Wikipedia has an article on:
      Wikipedia et

      Etymology

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      Borrowed from German Major, from Spanish, from Latin maior.

      Noun

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      major (genitive majori, partitive majorit)

      1. major (rank)

      Declension

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      Declension of major (ÕS type 2/õpik, no gradation)
      singular plural
      nominative major majorid
      accusative nom.
      gen. majori
      genitive majorite
      partitive majorit majoreid
      illative majorisse majoritesse
      majoreisse
      inessive majoris majorites
      majoreis
      elative majorist majoritest
      majoreist
      allative majorile majoritele
      majoreile
      adessive majoril majoritel
      majoreil
      ablative majorilt majoritelt
      majoreilt
      translative majoriks majoriteks
      majoreiks
      terminative majorini majoriteni
      essive majorina majoritena
      abessive majorita majoriteta
      comitative majoriga majoritega

      Derived terms

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      French

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      Etymology

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        From Middle French major, from Spanish mayor, from Latin maior. Doublet of maire, majeur, and mayeur. The use for a non-commissioned officer in the French army (since 1972) is a short form of adjudant-major or sergent-major.

        Pronunciation

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        Noun

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        major m or f (plural majors) (military)

        1. (France) the highest non-commissioned officer rank: sergeant major, “major”
          Coordinate terms: (other armies) adjudant-chef, adjudant-major
        2. (North America, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, DRC) major (field officer rank)
          Coordinate terms: (French army) commandant, chef, (navies) capitaine de corvette

        Derived terms

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        Further reading

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        Hungarian

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        Etymology

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        From Bavarian [Term?], compare Middle High German meier, Old High German meior, meiū̌r, standard German Meier (“administrator or leaseholder of a manor”); ultimately from Latin maior (“greater; leader”). The semantic shift from the person to the place is unclear; either via their identification, or by a clipping of a derivation like majorság, majorház, majorszoba.[1] The German equivalent terms for the place are Meierhof and Meierei (“feudal manor”).

        Pronunciation

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        • IPA(key): [ˈmɒjor]
        • Hyphenation: ma‧jor
        • Rhymes: -or

        Noun

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        major (plural majorok)

        1. farm

        Declension

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        Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)
        singular plural
        nominative major majorok
        accusative majort majorokat
        dative majornak majoroknak
        instrumental majorral majorokkal
        causal-final majorért majorokért
        translative majorrá majorokká
        terminative majorig majorokig
        essive-formal majorként majorokként
        essive-modal — —
        inessive majorban majorokban
        superessive majoron majorokon
        adessive majornál majoroknál
        illative majorba majorokba
        sublative majorra majorokra
        allative majorhoz majorokhoz
        elative majorból majorokból
        delative majorról majorokról
        ablative majortól majoroktól
        non-attributive
        possessive – singular         		majoré majoroké
        non-attributive
        possessive – plural         		majoréi majorokéi
        Possessive forms of major
        possessor single possession multiple possessions
        1st person sing. majorom majorjaim
        2nd person sing. majorod majorjaid
        3rd person sing. majorja majorjai
        1st person plural majorunk majorjaink
        2nd person plural majorotok majorjaitok
        3rd person plural majorjuk majorjaik

        Derived terms

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        References

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        1. ^ Benkő, Loránd, ed. A magyar nyelv történeti-etimológiai szótára I–IV. (“The Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”). Budapest: Akadémiai, 1967–1984. →ISBN. Vol. 1: A–Gy (1967), vol. 2: H–O (1970), vol. 3: Ö–Zs (1976), vol. 4: index (1984).

        Further reading

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        • (farm): major in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.
        • ([archaic] major [military rank]): major , redirecting to its synonym őrnagy in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

        Interlingua

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        Pronunciation

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        Adjective

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        major (not comparable)

        1. comparative degree of grande: bigger

        Latin

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        Pronunciation

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        Adjective

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        major (comparative, neuter majus, positive magnus); third declension

        1. alternative spelling of maior

        Inflection

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        Third-declension comparative adjective.

        singular plural
        masc./fem. neuter masc./fem. neuter
        nominative major majus majōrēs majōra
        genitive majōris majōrum
        dative majōrī majōribus
        accusative majōrem majus majōrēs
        majōrīs         		majōra
        ablative majōre
        majōrī         		majōribus
        vocative major majus majōrēs majōra

        References

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        Polish

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        Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
        Wikipedia pl

        Etymology

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        Borrowed from German Major, from Latin maior. Doublet of mer (“mayor”).

        Pronunciation

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        Noun

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        major m pers (abbreviation mjr)

        1. major (military rank)

        Declension

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        Declension of major
        singular plural
        nominative major majorowie/majorzy
        genitive majora majorów
        dative majorowi majorom
        accusative majora majorów
        instrumental majorem majorami
        locative majorze majorach
        vocative majorze majorowie/majorzy

        Further reading

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        • major in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
        • major in Polish dictionaries at PWN

        Portuguese

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        Portuguese Wikipedia has an article on:
        Wikipedia pt

        Etymology

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          Borrowed from French major.[1] Doublet of maior and mor.

          Pronunciation

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          Noun

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          major m or f by sense (plural majores)

          1. (military) major (military rank)
          2. (Brazil, colloquial, used in the vocative) A term of address for someone
            Synonyms: amigo, chefe, grande, jogador, capitão

          Noun

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          major m (plural majores)

          1. (Brazil) brown-chested martin (Progne tapera)
            Synonym: andorinha-do-campo

          Adjective

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          major m or f (plural majores)

          1. (rare) major
            Synonym: maior

          References

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          1. ^ “major”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026

          Further reading

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          Romanian

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          Etymology

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            Borrowed from French majeur, from Latin maior. Doublet of maior and possibly mare.

            Adjective

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            major m or n (feminine singular majoră, masculine plural majori, feminine/neuter plural majore)

            1. major (significant)

            Declension

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            Declension of major
            singular plural
            masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
            nominative-
            accusative             		indefinite major majoră majori majore
            definite majorul majora majorii majorele
            genitive-
            dative             		indefinite major majore majori majore
            definite majorului majorei majorilor majorelor

            Serbo-Croatian

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            Etymology

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            Borrowed from German Major.

            Pronunciation

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            • IPA(key): /mǎjoːr/
            • Hyphenation: ma‧jor

            Noun

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            màjōr m anim (Cyrillic spelling ма̀јо̄р)

            1. (military, Serbo-Croatian) major (rank)
              Synonym: tisućnik

            Declension

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            Declension of major
            singular plural
            nominative màjōr majori
            genitive majóra majora
            dative majoru majorima
            accusative majora majore
            vocative mȁjōre majori
            locative majoru majorima
            instrumental majorom majorima

            Synonyms

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            Swedish

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            Etymology

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            (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

            Pronunciation

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            Noun

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            major c

            1. a major[1]
            2. a Squadron Leader[1] (in the British Royal Air Force)

            Declension

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            Declension of major
            nominative genitive
            singular indefinite major majors
            definite majoren majorens
            plural indefinite majorer majorers
            definite majorerna majorernas

            References

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            1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Utrikes namnbok (7th ed., 2007) →ISBN
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