What does major mean?
Major describes something that is important, influential, or substantial in size or amount. It is used for major decisions, problems, changes, and concerns, as well as for achievements and developments that have a lasting significance. The word can identify someone’s principal academic field, especially in American usage, and it is also a military rank below lieutenant colonel. In music, a major key or chord creates a sound associated with brightness or resolution, though these qualities are not inherent in the musical terminology itself. Overall, major is a versatile word for indicating greater importance, scale, or prominence, and it is especially useful when discussing issues that require serious attention or have broad consequences.
Of great importance, significance, or size; involving a substantial amount of something.
"The new policy caused a major change in the way the service operates."
The word is often used before nouns such as issue, role, concern, and change.
A military officer holding a rank below lieutenant colonel; in informal American English, a person’s principal field of academic study.
"The Major greeted the visiting officers."
The academic sense is chiefly used in American English, as in “What is your major?”
To specialize in a particular field as a student.
"He majored in economics and later went into public policy."
This verb is standard in American English and is less common in British English.
The plural is used for the military sense and for people whose principal field of study is referred to as their major.
"The officers were addressed as majors."
From Latin maior, meaning “greater,” major became the standard way to signal that something was of the greatest importance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does major come from?
The word major comes through French majeur from Latin maior, the comparative form of magnus, meaning “great” or “large.” Latin maior developed the sense of a senior military officer, and the word entered English in the 16th century for both the general idea of greater importance and this military rank. Its academic sense as a principal field of study is chiefly an American development, while the musical sense comes from the established convention of using major to describe keys and chords based on the major scale.
Related word forms
How major is actually used
In American English, major is commonly used as a verb in the phrase “to major in,” meaning to specialize academically. The noun “a major” is also used for a military officer and, informally, for a person’s principal field of study. The musical sense is established in British and American English.
Easily confused with major
A major problem is significant or serious, whereas a minor problem is relatively small or less important.
A major is pronounced /ˈmeɪdʒər/, while a mayor, the head of a municipality, is pronounced /ˈmeər/ in British English and /ˈmeɪər/ in American English.