minor
gb/mˈaɪnɚ/ us/mˈaɪnɚ/
A2
English
~ 2100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Person not legally an adult
Someone who is not yet an adult by law.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a minor
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'minor' with 'miner' (a person who works in a mine).
Synonyms
underage person (More descriptive and explicit; often used in legal or formal contexts.)
Antonyms
adult (An adult is legally recognized as fully grown and responsible.)
Collocations
underage minor
|protect minors
|minor offense by a minor
Themes
law
|family
|society
Examples
- The club does not allow minors inside after 9 p.m.
- As a minor, she could not sign the contract herself.
- The law protects minors from certain types of advertising.
Learner examples
- He is a minor and cannot drink alcohol.
- Minors need their parents' permission to travel alone.
- She is a minor, so she cannot vote.
adjective
A2
property
2
Less important or serious
Not big or important.
Usage pattern:
[something] is a minor [issue/problem/change]
Synonyms
small ('Small' refers to size generally, not necessarily importance.)
|
insignificant ('Insignificant' is stronger in meaning and can sound more dismissive.)
Antonyms
major ('Major' means much more important or serious.)
Collocations
minor problem
|minor change
|minor role
|minor injury
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She suffered only a minor injury in the accident.
- There are a few minor changes to the schedule.
- He played a minor role in the movie.
Learner examples
- This is a minor problem.
- I made a minor mistake.
- He has a minor cut on his hand.
Noun
B1
entity
3
Secondary subject in college
A subject you study in college that is less important than your main subject.
Usage pattern:
[someone] has a minor in [subject]
Synonyms
subsidiary subject (More formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
major ('Major' is the main subject of study.)
Collocations
declare a minor
|have a minor in
|choose a minor
Themes
education
Examples
- She majored in biology and had a minor in chemistry.
- He's considering declaring a minor in economics.
- My minor in art history helped me get this job.
Learner examples
- I have a minor in English literature.
- She wants to choose psychology as her minor.
- He studied physics as his minor.
adjective
technical
B2
property
4
(Music) Having a sad sound due to scale structure
(Music) A type of scale or key that often sounds sad.
Usage pattern:
[something] is in a minor key
Synonyms
(none)
Antonyms
(none)
Collocations
minor chord
|minor key
|minor scale
Themes
music
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- "Greensleeves" is written in a minor key.
- "A minor" is one of my favorite keys to play in.
- "D minor" has been called the saddest of all keys.
Learner examples
- "Happy Birthday" is not in a minor key.
- "This song is in A minor."
- "Minor chords can sound sad."
Grammar
Expressions
in the minor leagues
1/ˈɪn ðə mˈaɪnɚ lˈiɡz/
idiom
informal
At a lower level of skill or importance
To be at a lower level than the top group.
Examples
- He's still in the minor leagues, but he's improving.
- When it comes to cooking, I'm definitely in the minor leagues.
minor details
1/mˈaɪnɚ dˈiteɪlz/
fixed phrase
Small, unimportant pieces of information
Information that is not very important.
Examples
- Let's skip the minor details and get to the point.
- We talked about the plan without going into the minor details.
minor role
1/mˈaɪnɚ ɹˈoʊl/
fixed phrase
Small or less important part in performance
A part in a play or movie that is not very important.
Examples
- He only had a minor role in the film.
- She played a minor role in the success of the project.