1
: inferior in importance, size, or degree : comparatively unimportant
a minor artist
2
: not having reached majority (see majority sense 2)
He is the father of minor children.
3
a
: having half steps between the second and third, the fifth and sixth, and sometimes the seventh and eighth degrees
minor scale
b
: based on a minor scale
minor key
c
: less by a semitone than the corresponding major interval
minor third
d
: having a minor third above the root
minor triad
4
: not serious or involving risk to life
minor illness
5
: of or relating to an academic subject requiring fewer courses than a major
his minor subjects for his M.A. were plant ecology and entomology—
Current Biography
Current Biography1
: a person who is not yet old enough to have the rights of an adult
2
: a minor musical interval, scale, key, or mode
3
a
: a minor academic subject
b
: a student taking a specified minor
4
: a determinant or matrix obtained from a given determinant or matrix by eliminating the row and column in which a given element lies
5
minors plural
: minor league baseball
—used with the
Examples of minor in a Sentence
Adjective
Her role in the project was minor.
I'm not worried about minor details.
The grant covered only a minor part of the cost.
The delay will be minor.
He suffered a minor heart attack.
Noun
families with children who are still minors
The nightclub was shut down for selling alcohol to a minor.
She majored in chemistry with a minor in biology.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
But in the scheme of human rights abuses, Maduro’s drug offense is the most minor.
—Javier Corrales, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Distance restrictions for Hastings cannabis retailers stipulate that there must be 1,000 feet between retailers and the stores must be more than 500 feet from a school, residential treatment facility and public parks that are regularly used by minors.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
John Woodrow Cox, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Feb. 2023
While earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism, Carly chose to minor in event planning.
—Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for minor
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Breaking waves will result in beach erosion with minor damage possible to dune structures.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
But in the scheme of human rights abuses, Maduro’s drug offense is the most minor.
—Javier Corrales, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
Inside the vehicle were five passengers, four minors and one adult, in addition to Elmahdi.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Distance restrictions for Hastings cannabis retailers stipulate that there must be 1,000 feet between retailers and the stores must be more than 500 feet from a school, residential treatment facility and public parks that are regularly used by minors.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
Emma, one of about 20 Oxford survivors at the university, decided to minor in women’s studies, hoping to one day get a doctorate, maybe become a professor and teach students like her.
—John Woodrow Cox, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Feb. 2023
While earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism, Carly chose to minor in event planning.
—Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for minor
Cite this Entry
“Minor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minor. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
minor
1 of 2 adjective
mi·nor
ˈmī-nər 
1
: less in size, importance, or value
a minor poet
a minor injury
2
: not having reached the age to have full civil rights
3
a
: relating to or being a musical scale in which the third tone is lowered a half step
b
: based on a minor scale
minor key
minor
2 of 2 noun
: a person who has not reached the age to have full civil rights
Medical Definition
minor
2 of 2 noun
: a person of either sex under the age of legal qualification for adult rights and responsibilities that has traditionally been 21 in the United States but is now 18 in many states or sometimes less under certain circumstances (as marriage or pregnancy)
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