minor

The defendant resides at 123 Fake Street with his partner and two minor children.

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

(law) Underage, not having reached legal majority.

Underage, not having reached legal majority.

She suffered a minor injury.

There was minor bruising.

He has a minor case of puppy love.

We now know on authority of Dr. Briggs that every case of vaccination is "a minor case of smallpox," and that every such case of smallpox "should be carefully watched until all danger is passed".

1899 October, Edward Pollock Anshutz, Homoepathic Envoy, Vol. 10, No. 8, p. 58

(medicine, sometimes figurative) Not serious, not involving risk of death, permanent injury, dangerous surgery, or extended hospitalization.

The musical interval between C and E♭ is a minor third while C to E is a major third.

...a certaine Fraction, which may be the difference betwixt a Tone major and a Tone minor, which we nominate a Schism...

1653, Rene Descartes, translated by Lord Brouncker, Excellent Compendium of Musick, page 30:

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

Beethoven's melancholy Moonlight Sonata is scored in the key of C# minor, using the diatonic scale C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A, and B, but modulates throughout.

The minor mode of D is tender.

1772, William Jones, “On the Arts, Commonly Called Imitative”, in Poems..., page 209:

The first chorus: ‘Behold the Lamb of God’, with its dark minor chords, brings threatening clouds over us.

1843 March, United States Magazine & Democratic Review, page 273:

Modern harmonists are unwilling to acknowledge that the minor triad is less consonant than the major.

1880, Edmund Gurney, The Power of Sound, page 271:

After harmony was introduced into music during the late Middle Ages, major and minor triads emerged as the principal chords. The major triad, as C E G, was regarded with especial favor, because it occurs naturally in the harmonic series, as on bugles, and can be expressed by the simple ratios, 4:5:6. A system of tuning for the diatonic scale known today as just intonation gained support in the 16th century, because its principal triads, C E G, F A C, and G B D, had these just ratios. But an important minor triad, D F A, is harsh in just intonation, and other unsatisfactory triads result when this tuning is extended to the complete chromatic scale.

1948 November, J.M. Barbour, “Music and Ternary Continued Fractions”, in American Mathematical Monthly, volume 55, number 9, page 545:

The first voice of the fugue that Elizabeth had played... came to him, inverted mockingly and in a minor key.

1951, Carson McCullers, “The Sojourner”, in O. Henry Prize Stories of 1951, page 200:

Tufnel: It's part of a trilogy, really, a musical trilogy that I'm doing in D... minor which I always find is really the saddest of all keys, really. I don't know why but it makes people weep instantly to play it... This piece is called "Lick My Love Pump".

1984, Christopher Guest et al., This Is Spin̈al Tap:

He was a moralist in a minor key, more concerned that people should say ‘tinned peaches’ and not ‘tin peaches’, than that they should worry about nuclear disarmament.

1995 October 23, John Walsh, “The Pragmatic Entertainer Who Said the Unsayable”, in The Independent, page 3:

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

The minor requirements only involve about 20 hours of classes.

(Canada, US, education) Of or related to a minor, a secondary area of undergraduate study.

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

The minor term of John Stuart Mill's famous syllogism—usually mistakenly credited to Aristotle—is Socrates; the major term is mortal.

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

He whipt her with a foxes taile, Barnes minor,

c. 1593, Henry Chettle, Kind-harts Dreame, sig. C2

And he whipt her with a foxes taile, Barnes maior.

Espionage... was a field that had sophisticated itself since the distant time when Patullo Minor... had enthralled his school-fellows with his hazardous escapades.

1978, John Innes Mackintosh Stewart, Full Term, page 250:

(UK, dated) The younger of two pupils with the same surname.

The younger of two pupils with the same surname.

The minor perfect mode was marked by one single line which crossed three spaces, and the longue was equal to three breves... The minor imperfect mode was marked by a line which crossed two spaces only, and its longue was equal only to two breves.

1779, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, translated by William Waring, Complete Dictionary of Music, page 243:

(music, historical) Of or related to the relationship between the longa and the breve in a score.

Josquin works in minor prolation—that is, works in which the signature indicates that a semibreve is equal to two minims, often have a 3 as a medial signature for a few measures, indicating that until the 3 is canceled by the reappearance of a sign for minor prolation, there are to be 3 minims to a semibreve.

1969, Arthur Mendel, "Some Preliminary Attempts at Computer-Assisted Style Analysis in Music", Computers and the Humanities, Vol. 4, No. 1, p. 45

(music, historical) Having semibreves twice as long as a minim.

Having semibreves twice as long as a minim.

...that the Minor part of the Lords might joyn with the Major part of the House of Commons...

1642, Charles I, His Majesties Answer to a Printed Book Entituled A Remonstrance..., page 13:

In every other, the minor will be preferred by me to the major vote.

1796 December 27, Thomas Jefferson, letter

(politics, obsolete) Of or related to a minority party.

And whenever Dre tore her off some money, she always split it up between his kids. She would've felt real minor taking all his cash and spending it on herself, knowing how needy his babies were.

2006, Noire [pseudonym], Thug-A-Licious: An Urban Erotic Tale, New York, N.Y.: One World, Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 128:

Having little worth or ability; paltry; mean.

Having little worth or ability; paltry; mean.

(graph theory) Including both directed and undirected edges.

Including both directed and undirected edges.

of minor importance

a minor poet

Here we se thre proposicions, or sentences, whereof the first is called Maior, that is to saie, the proposicion at large. the seconde is called Minor, that is to saie, the seuerall proposicion. the thirde is called conclusio.

1551, Thomas Wilson, The Rule of Reason..., sig. F8

It is my intention to wait a few years before I publish any minor poems.

There is now such an immense "microliterature" on hepatics that, beyond a certain point I have given up trying to integrate (and evaluate) every minor paper published—especially narrowly floristic papers.

1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page viii:

en-adj

minor (comparative more minor, superlative most minor)

more minor (comparative)
most minor (superlative)

antonym(s) of

serious, grave, severe, dangerous, fatal, life-threatening, acute (informal)

From Middle English minor, menor, menour, etc., from Latin minor (“lesser; young; young person”) both directly and via Norman and Middle French menor, menour, etc. Doublet of minus but not mini-. Cognate with minister, minify, Minorca, Menshevik, and possibly minnow. Compare Latin minimum and minuō, Old High German minniro, Cornish minow.

der

Latin minor (“lesser; young; young person”)


minor

No, he can't get a mortgage or sell the house. He's still a minor. For the most part, he can't sign a legally binding contract.

He was only a minor when he succeeded his father to the barony.

King Richard the second... for the first tenne yeares of his raigne, was a Minor.

1612, John Davies, A Discouerie of the True Causes Why Ireland Was Neuer Entirely Subdued..., page 88:

(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.

He plays in the minors.

She hasn't won a minor since the Sichuan Open.

The play is considered one of his minors.

Mr Gloss'em, who is a shining character in the theatrical world, at least among the minors of the metropolis.

1821, Pierce Egan, Real Life in London..., volume I, page 92:

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

(music) Ellipsis of minor interval, scale, mode, key, chord, triad, etc.

I got a minor in English Lit.

(Canada, US, education) A formally recognized secondary area of undergraduate study, requiring fewer course credits than the equivalent major.

I became an English minor.

(Canada, US, education, uncommon) A person who is completing or has completed such a course of study.

...the whole of a system of rth minors being zero...

1850, James Joseph Sylvester, London, Edinburgh, & Dublin Philosophical Magazine..., volume 37, page 366:

Let A be a non-zero matrix of rank r over a field. Then A has a non-zero r-minor and all s-minors of A are zero for s > r.

1986, C.W. Norman, Undergraduate Algebra, page 315:

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

He... to þe menours ordre went

1447, Osbern Bokenham, Legendys of Hooly Wummen, l. 10520:

(Catholicism) Alternative letter-case form of Minor: a Franciscan friar, a Clarist nun.

And so musten oure clerkis argue whan þai aleggen for her lordeschip þe lyuynge of her patrons & sayntis, & sayen þus: "Seynt thomas & seynt hwe & seynt Swiþune wer þus lordis, & in þis þai suyd cristis lyuynge & his lore; þerfor we may lefulli be þus lordis." And I wote wel þat gabriel schal blow his horne or þai han preuyd þe mynor; þat is, þat þes seyntes or patrons in þis suyden þe lore or þe life of ihesu criste.

c. 1450, anonymous author, The Clergy May Not Hold Property, page 31:

(logic) Ellipsis of minor term or minor premise.

It is certain that the major leagues must depend upon the minors for their recruits.

1890 July 31, Sporting Life, Philadelphia, page 1:

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

Penalties... First Period... all minors.

1924 December 30, Gazette, Montreal, page 14:

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

minor penalty

Brown from a mark on the magazine wing put up the first minor.

1903 May 16, Sporting News, Tasmania, page 4:

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

At half-time the score was—one goal, three tries, and four minors.

(rugby, historical) Ellipsis of minor point: a lesser score formerly gained by certain actions.

minor point

Many find it easier to remember 20 for Minors, 30 for Majors and 35 for No Trump.

1927, Milton Cooper Work, Contract Bridge, page 11:

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

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

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

(campanology) Changes rung on six bells.

(Scots law, obsolete) An adolescent, a person above the legal age of puberty but below the age of majority.

(mathematics, rare, obsolete) Synonym of subtrahend, the amount subtracted from a number.

Let my minor pass, you fellows!... Here, Chudleigh, just make room there.

(UK, rare, obsolete) The younger brother of a pupil.

byvak

subject of secondary undergraduate study


minor

en-verb

minor (third-person singular simple present minors, present participle minoring, simple past and past participle minored)

minors (present singular third-person)
minoring (participle present)
minored (participle past)
minored (past)


minor

Vercingetorix minoribus Caesarem itineribus subsequitur

c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico VII.16

Vercingetorix follows Caesar by shorter marches

comparative degree of parvus:
less, lesser, inferior, smaller

minus (neuter)
parvus (positive)
minor (feminine masculine nominative singular)
minus (neuter nominative singular)
minōrēs (feminine masculine nominative plural)
minōra (neuter nominative plural)
minōris (feminine genitive masculine neuter singular)
minōrum (feminine genitive masculine neuter plural)
minōrī (dative feminine masculine neuter singular)
minōribus (dative feminine masculine neuter plural)
minōrem (accusative feminine masculine singular)
minus (accusative neuter singular)
minōrēs (accusative feminine masculine plural)
minōrīs (accusative feminine masculine plural)
minōra (accusative neuter plural)
minōre (ablative feminine masculine neuter singular)
minōrī (ablative feminine masculine neuter singular)
minōribus (ablative feminine masculine neuter plural)
minor (feminine masculine singular vocative)
minus (neuter singular vocative)
minōrēs (feminine masculine plural vocative)
minōra (neuter plural vocative)

Catalan: menor, menys

English: minor, minus

French: mineur, moindre, moins

Friulian: minôr

Galician: menor

Italian: minore, meno

Ladin: mendr, mender

Occitan: menor, mendre, mens

Portuguese: menor, menos

Romanian: minor, minus

Romansch: mender

Sardinian: minore

Sicilian: minuri

Spanish: menor, menos

From Proto-Italic *minōs, from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“small, little”). Related to minuō (“to make smaller, to lessen; to grow less”).


minor

person under age (e.g. 25 years old), minor

… nunc fama minores / Italiam dixisse ducis de nomine gentem.

29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 1.532–533

now there is a rumor that a later people called the land Italy from the name of their leader.

(poetic, in the plural) children; descendants, posterity

la-noun

minor m (genitive minōris); third declension

minōris (genitive)
minor (nominative singular)
minōrēs (nominative plural)
minōris (genitive singular)
minōrum (genitive plural)
minōrī (dative singular)
minōribus (dative plural)
minōrem (accusative singular)
minōrēs (accusative plural)
minōre (ablative singular)
minōribus (ablative plural)
minor (singular vocative)
minōrēs (plural vocative)


minor

(literally, poetic) to jut forth, protrude, project, tower

Hinc atque hinc vastae rūpēs, geminīque minantur
in caelum scopulī, quōrum sub vertice lātē
aequora tūta silent ….
On either side of the vast rocky shoreline, twin pinnacles menace in heaven, under whose highpoint[s] the wide, safe waters [lie] calm.
(Literally, the towering rocks “project into the sky”; poetically, they “menace in heaven” – it is as if the safe harbor is guarded by natural watchtowers.)

29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 1.162–164

Omnes minantur tibi dicuntque se conducturos Aurelium Ambrosium ex Armorico tractu ut te deposito ipsum in regem promoveant.

12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth, De Gestis Britonum VI.305-307

They all threaten you, saying they will be bringing from the lands of Brittany Aurelius Ambrosium and when finally dethroned making him in turn the king.

(transferred sense) [with dative] to threaten, menace

la-verb

minor (present infinitive minārī, perfect active minātus sum); first conjugation, deponent

minārī (infinitive present)
minātus sum (active perfect)
minor (active first-person indicative present singular)
mināris (active indicative present second-person singular)
mināre (active indicative present second-person singular)
minātur (active indicative present singular third-person)
mināmur (active first-person indicative plural present)
mināminī (active indicative plural present second-person)
minantur (active indicative plural present third-person)
minābar (active first-person imperfect indicative singular)
minābāris (active imperfect indicative second-person singular)
minābāre (active imperfect indicative second-person singular)
minābātur (active imperfect indicative singular third-person)
minābāmur (active first-person imperfect indicative plural)
minābāminī (active imperfect indicative plural second-person)
minābantur (active imperfect indicative plural third-person)
minābor (active first-person future indicative singular)
mināberis (active future indicative second-person singular)
minābere (active future indicative second-person singular)
minābitur (active future indicative singular third-person)
minābimur (active first-person future indicative plural)
minābiminī (active future indicative plural second-person)
minābuntur (active future indicative plural third-person)
miner (active first-person present singular subjunctive)
minēris (active present second-person singular subjunctive)
minēre (active present second-person singular subjunctive)
minētur (active present singular subjunctive third-person)
minēmur (active first-person plural present subjunctive)
minēminī (active plural present second-person subjunctive)
minentur (active plural present subjunctive third-person)
minārer (active first-person imperfect singular subjunctive)
minārēris (active imperfect second-person singular subjunctive)
minārēre (active imperfect second-person singular subjunctive)
minārētur (active imperfect singular subjunctive third-person)
minārēmur (active first-person imperfect plural subjunctive)
minārēminī (active imperfect plural second-person subjunctive)
minārentur (active imperfect plural subjunctive third-person)
mināre (active imperative present second-person singular)
mināminī (active imperative plural present second-person)
minātor (active future imperative second-person singular)
minātor (active future imperative singular third-person)
minantor (active future imperative plural third-person)
minārī (active infinitive present)
minātum esse (active infinitive perfect)
minātūrum esse (active future infinitive)
mināns (active participle present)
minātus (active participle perfect)
minātūrus (active future participle)
minandus (future participle passive)
minandī (genitive gerund noun-from-verb)
minandō (dative gerund noun-from-verb)
minandum (accusative gerund noun-from-verb)
minandō (ablative gerund noun-from-verb)
minātum (accusative noun-from-verb supine)
minātū (ablative noun-from-verb supine)

Aromanian: min, minari

Catalan: menar

Dalmatian: menur

Friulian: menâ

Italian: menare

Ladin: mener

Neapolitan: menà

Occitan: menar

Old French: mener

French: mener

Bourguignon: moiner

German: mennen (borrowed)

Norman: m'ner

Romanian: mâna, mânare

Sicilian: minari

Spanish: menar

Venetan: menar

From minae (“threats, menaces”) + -ō (verbal suffix). Doublet of minō.


minor

ro-adj

minor m or n (feminine singular minoră, masculine plural minori, feminine and neuter plural minore)

minoră (feminine singular)
minori (masculine plural)
minore (feminine neuter plural)
minor (indefinite masculine neuter singular)
minoră (feminine indefinite singular)
minori (indefinite masculine plural)
minore (feminine indefinite neuter plural)
minorul (definite masculine neuter singular)
minora (definite feminine singular)
minorii (definite masculine plural)
minorele (definite feminine neuter plural)
minore (feminine indefinite singular)
minorului (definite masculine neuter singular)
minorei (definite feminine singular)
minorilor (definite masculine plural)
minorelor (definite feminine neuter plural)

Borrowed from French mineur, from Latin minor.