Minor vs. Major — What's the Difference?

Less significant issue.

An adult in legal contexts.

Secondary academic focus.

Greater in degree or magnitude.

Individual below legal adulthood.

More significant issue.

Music scale with a somber tone.

Primary field of academic study.

Lesser in degree or magnitude.

Music scale with a brighter tone.

Lesser or smaller in amount, extent, or size.

Major is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world.

Lesser in importance, rank, or stature

Important, serious, or significant

Lesser in seriousness or danger

(of a scale) having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees.

Chiefly British Relating to or being the younger or junior of two pupils with the same surname.

(appended to a surname in public schools) indicating the elder of two brothers.

Of or relating to a secondary area of academic specialization.

(of a term) occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism.

(Logic) Dealing with a more restricted category.

A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, above captain and below lieutenant colonel.

Relating to or being a minor scale.

A major key, interval, or scale.

Less in distance by a half step than the corresponding major interval.

A major organization or competition

Based on a minor scale

A student's principal subject or course

One that is lesser in comparison with others of the same class.

A major term or premise.

A secondary area of specialized academic study, requiring fewer courses or credits than a major.

Short for major suit

One studying in a secondary area of specialization

A goal.

A minor premise.

Specialize in (a particular subject) at college or university

A minor term.

Greater than others in importance or rank

(Music) A minor key, scale, or interval.

Great in scope or effect

Minors(Sports) The minor leagues of a sport, especially baseball.

Great in number, size, or extent

To pursue academic studies in a minor field

Requiring great attention or concern; very serious

Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option, particularly:

(Law) Legally recognized as having reached the age of adulthood.

(law) Underage, not having reached legal majority.

Designating a scale or mode having half steps between the third and fourth and the seventh and eighth degrees.

Not serious, not involving risk of death, permanent injury, dangerous surgery, or extended hospitalization.

Equivalent to the distance between the tonic note and the second or third or sixth or seventh degrees of a major scale or mode

(music) Smaller by a diatonic semitone than the equivalent major interval.

Based on a major scale

(music) Incorporating a minor third interval above the (in scales) tonic or (in chords) root note, tending to produce a dark, discordant, sad, or pensive effect.

A commissioned rank in the US Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above captain and below lieutenant colonel.

Of or related to a minor, a secondary area of undergraduate study.

One who holds this rank or a similar rank in another military organization.

(mathematics) Of or related to a minor, a determinate obtained by deleting one or more rows and columns from a matrix.

One that is superior in rank, importance, or ability

(logic) Acting as the subject of the second premise of a categorical syllogism, which then also acts as the subject of its conclusion.

A field of study chosen as an academic specialty.

The younger of two pupils with the same surname.

A student specializing in such studies

Of or related to the relationship between the longa and the breve in a score.

A major premise.

Having semibreves twice as long as a minim.

A major term.

Of or related to a minority party.

A major scale, key, interval, or mode.

(law) A child, a person who has not reached the age of majority, consent, etc. and is legally subject to fewer responsibilities and less accountability and entitled to fewer legal rights and privileges.

A chord containing a major third between the first and second notes and a minor third between the second and third notes.

A lesser person or thing, a person, group, or thing of minor rank or in the minor leagues.

Majors Sports The major leagues.

(music) minor interval, etc.

To pursue academic studies in a major

A formally recognized secondary area of undergraduate study, requiring fewer course credits than the equivalent major.

(attributive):

A person who is completing or has completed such a course of study.

Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.

(mathematics) A determinant of a square matrix obtained by deleting one or more rows and columns.

Greater in number, quantity, or extent.

(Catholicism) Minor: a Franciscan friar, a Clarist nun.

Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.

(logic) minor term.

Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.

(baseball) minor league: the lower level of teams.

(medicine) Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.

(ice hockey) minor penalty: a penalty requiring a player to leave the ice for 2 minutes unless the opposing team scores.

Of full legal age, having attained majority.

(Australian football) behind: a one-point kick.

(education) Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.

Ellipsis of minor point: a lesser score formerly gained by certain actions.

(music):

(bridge) minor suit; a card of a minor suit.

Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees.

(entomology) Any of various noctuid moths in Europe and Asia, chiefly in the Oligia and Mesoligia genera.

Equivalent to that between the tonic and another note of a major scale, and greater by a semitone than the corresponding minor interval.

(entomology) A leaf-cutter worker ant intermediate in size between a minim and a media.

(postpositive) of a key Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.

(campanology) Changes rung on six bells.

(campanology) Bell changes rung on eight bells.

An adolescent, a person above the legal age of puberty but below the age of majority.

Indicating the elder of two brothers, appended to a surname in public schools.

Synonym of subtrahend, the amount subtracted from a number.

(logic)

The younger brother of a pupil.

Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism.

Inferior in bulk, degree, importance, etc.; less; smaller; of little account; as, minor divisions of a body.

Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism.

Less by a semitone in interval or difference of pitch; as, a minor third.

(military ranks) A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, between captain and lieutenant colonel.

The minor term, that is, the subject of the conclusion; also, the minor premise, that is, that premise which contains the minor term; in hypothetical syllogisms, the categorical premise. It is the second proposition of a regular syllogism, as in the following: Every act of injustice partakes of meanness; to take money from another by gaming is an act of injustice; therefore, the taking of money from another by gaming partakes of meanness.

An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier.

A Minorite; a Franciscan friar.

A person of legal age.

Of lesser importance or stature or rank;

(music):

Lesser in scope or effect;

Ellipsis of major key.

Inferior in number or size or amount;

Ellipsis of major interval.

Of a scale or mode;

Ellipsis of major scale.

Not of legal age;

(campanology) A system of change-ringing using eight bells.

Of lesser seriousness or danger;

A large, commercially successful company, especially a record label that is bigger than an indie.

Of your secondary field of academic concentration or specialization

The principal subject or course of a student working toward a degree at a college or university.

Of the younger of two boys with the same family name;

A student at a college or university specializing on a given area of study.

Warranting only temporal punishment;

(logic):

Limited in size or scope;

Ellipsis of major term.

Ellipsis of major premise.

(bridge) major suit.

(Canadian football) A touchdown, or major score.

(Australian rules football) A goal.

An elder brother (especially at a public school).

(entomology) A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest.

(obsolete) mayor and {{en}}.

(intransitive) major in

Greater in number, quantity, or extent; as, the major part of the assembly; the major part of the revenue; the major part of the territory.

Of greater dignity; more important.

Greater by a semitone, either in interval or in difference of pitch from another tone.

An officer next in rank above a captain and next below a lieutenant colonel; the lowest field officer.

A person of full age.

That premise which contains the major term. It its the first proposition of a regular syllogism; as: No unholy person is qualified for happiness in heaven [the major]. Every man in his natural state is unholy [minor]. Therefore, no man in his natural state is qualified for happiness in heaven [conclusion or inference].

A mayor.

A commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain

British statesman who was prime minister from 1990 until 1997 (born in 1943)

A university student who is studying a particular field as the principal subject;

The principal field of study of a student at a university;

Have as one's principal field of study;

Of greater importance or stature or rank;

Greater in scope or effect;

Greater in number or size or amount;

Of the field of academic study in which one concentrates or specializes;

Of a scale or mode;

Of greater seriousness or danger;

Of full legal age;

Of the elder of two boys with the same family name;

Yes, students can usually switch their major and minor, but this might extend their time in college depending on how many courses overlap between the old and new choices.

Yes, a minor issue can escalate into a major one if not addressed promptly or if it has unforeseen consequences.

To major in a subject means to choose it as your primary field of study in college or university, focusing most of your academic efforts on this area.

Age is the primary criterion, but certain jurisdictions might have additional considerations, such as emancipation or marriage, that can affect a minor's legal status.

Minor scales are characterized by a specific interval pattern that gives them a somber or serious tone, while major scales follow a pattern that produces a happier or brighter sound.

While minor chords often have a somber tone, their emotional impact can vary depending on the musical context and composition.

A minor can travel alone under certain conditions, but they might need a consent letter or meet specific airline or legal requirements.

Yes, some educational institutions allow students to pursue double majors or minors, subject to fulfilling the required coursework for each.

Majors have full legal rights, including entering contracts, voting, and making independent medical decisions, which minors typically do not.

Minors are often chosen based on personal interests, career goals, or to complement the major field of study.

Businesses assess the potential impact on operations, costs, and customer satisfaction to differentiate between minor and major issues.

While considered secondary, minor subjects can complement the major, broadening a student's knowledge and enhancing their skill set.

Major decisions, such as career choice, education, and personal relationships, significantly influence an individual's life path and opportunities.

Ignoring a major problem can lead to significant consequences, including financial loss, operational failure, or legal repercussions.