minor

/ˈmaɪnər/
noun
  1. A person who is under the legal age of adulthood.
    • The law requires that minors be accompanied by an adult after 10 p.m.
    • As a minor, she needed her parents' permission to travel abroad.
    • The store does not sell tobacco to minors.
  2. A subject or field of study that a student chooses to focus on less intensively than their main subject (major).
    • Declaring a minor requires completing at least five courses in that subject.
    • He is studying computer science with a minor in music.
    • She chose a minor in psychology to complement her major in biology.
  3. A musical key or scale that is minor.
    • The piece is written in A minor, which gives it a somber tone.
    • She practiced the C minor scale on the violin for an hour.
    • The composer often used minor keys to express sadness.
Antonyms
verb
  1. To study a subject as a secondary focus in college.
    • Many students minor in a field that interests them but is not their main career path.
    • He minored in economics while majoring in political science.
    • She decided to minor in French to improve her language skills.
adjective
  1. Less important, serious, or significant compared to others.
    • The project had only a few minor problems that were easy to fix.
    • He played a minor role in the movie, appearing for just two scenes.
    • She had a minor injury and didn't need to go to the hospital.
  2. Smaller in size, degree, or number.
    • There was a minor delay of five minutes due to traffic.
    • We made a minor adjustment to the recipe by adding less salt.
    • The storm caused only minor damage to the roof.
  3. Relating to a musical key or scale that typically sounds sad or dark.
    • The song is written in a minor key, giving it a melancholy feel.
    • The piece shifts from a major to a minor scale in the second movement.
    • She prefers playing minor chords on the piano because they sound more emotional.
  4. Under the legal age of adulthood (usually under 18).
    • He was still a minor when he signed the contract, so it was not legally binding.
    • The club does not allow minor children to enter without an adult.
    • The law protects minor workers from doing dangerous jobs.
Antonyms