major
major — adjective
1. extremely large in size, importance, or effect — used to describe things that ma
extremely large in size, importance, or effect — used to describe things that matter a great deal, such as a major decision, a major problem, a major city, or a major change.
The company faces a major financial crisis after losing its biggest client.
attributive: major + noun (crisis)
Hari had to make a major decision about whether to move to Japan for work.
A major earthquake struck the region, causing widespread damage to buildings.
collocation: major + natural disaster
The difference in price is not major, so choosing the cheaper option makes sense.
predictive use: be + major
- major change
- major problem
- major issue
- major decision
- major role
- major factor
- major concern
- major difference
- significant
less emotionally charged; used for measurable effects or data
- serious
emphasises danger or negative consequences rather than size
- critical
suggests urgency and risk of failure
- substantial
focuses on size or amount rather than importance
Grammar Patterns
major + noun
be + major
Usage Note
Use this sense for things that are notably big or consequential. It is stronger than 'important' — a major problem is one that threatens to cause serious harm. Frequently followed by nouns like 'change', 'issue', 'role', 'factor'.
Common Mistakes
2. describing a type of musical scale, key, or chord that most people hear as cheer
describing a type of musical scale, key, or chord that most people hear as cheerful, bright, or uplifting — for example, a major key tends to sound happier than a minor key.
Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 is written in A major and feels energetic and joyful.
pattern: in + [note] + major
The song shifts from a sad minor key to a bright major key during the chorus.
contrast: major vs minor key
Mizuki is learning to play a C major scale on the piano for her first exam.
The choir sang a joyful piece written in F major on Sunday morning.
- major key
- major scale
- major chord
- major third
- major interval
- minor
the opposite musical quality, typically described as sad or dark
Grammar Patterns
major + noun (key, scale, chord, third)
Usage Note
Always appears before a musical noun: major key, major scale, major chord, major third. The opposite is 'minor'. In music theory, a major scale has a specific pattern of whole and half steps that gives it a bright character.
Common Mistakes
3. describing the highest level of North American professional team sports such as
describing the highest level of North American professional team sports such as baseball — these leagues feature the best players and attract the largest live audiences.
Caleb dreamed of playing Major League baseball ever since he was a child.
proper noun: Major League + sport
The team was promoted from a minor league to a major league after winning the championship.
contrast: minor league → major league
Major League teams travel across the country for away games during the season.
Fans lined up for hours to buy tickets for the major league play-off game.
- Major League Baseball
- Major League Hockey
- major-league team
- major-league pitcher
- top-tier
broader use, not limited to North American sports leagues
- minor-league
the lower-level leagues that serve as development systems
Grammar Patterns
Major League + noun
major-league + noun
Usage Note
Often capitalised as 'Major League' when referring to the official North American organisations (MLB, NHL). The hyphenated form 'major-league' can also be used informally as an adjective meaning 'top-level' or 'first-rate'.
major — noun
1. a person holding the military rank that lies between captain and lieutenant colo
a person holding the military rank that lies between captain and lieutenant colonel in land, air, and marine service branches.
Major Obi was awarded a medal for leading his unit through enemy territory.
title before surname: Major + [name]
The major ordered the soldiers to set up camp before nightfall.
countable: the + major
After eight years of service, Captain Sumin was promoted to major.
The retired major now teaches military history at a local college.
- promoted to major
- Major General
- army major
- retired major
Grammar Patterns
a/the + major
Major + surname (as title)
Usage Note
When used as a title before a name, 'Major' is capitalised (e.g. Major Hassan). As a common noun describing the rank, it is lowercase. The rank exists in the UK, US, and many other armed forces.
Common Mistakes
2. the primary subject a person chooses to concentrate on at a university, or a lea
the primary subject a person chooses to concentrate on at a university, or a learner focused on that subject — a history major, for instance, is someone whose main academic focus is history.
Vikram chose computer science as his major because he wanted to work in software.
pattern: [subject] as one's major
Brooke is a biology major who plans to attend medical school after graduation.
pattern: [subject] + major (student)
What is your major — business, engineering, or something else?
The university offers over forty different majors for undergraduate students to choose from.
plural: majors
- choose a major
- declare a major
- change one's major
- English major
- major in economics
- field of study
more formal and general; not limited to American university system
- specialisation
used in British English for the focused area within a degree
- minor
a secondary subject studied with less depth than the major
Grammar Patterns
a + major + in + [subject]
[subject] + major
Usage Note
This sense is primarily used in US and Canadian English. In British English, the equivalent term is usually 'course' or 'degree programme'. To describe someone studying a subject, the British say 'a history student', not 'a history major'.
Common Mistakes
3. one of the most important professional competitions in a sport, especially golf
one of the most important professional competitions in a sport, especially golf or tennis — winning a major is the highest achievement in that sport.
Winning all four tennis majors in a single year is called a Grand Slam.
collocation: win a major
Joaquín finished second at the US Open golf major last year.
sport + major
The four tennis majors are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
plural: majors (the set of top tournaments)
Winning a golf major can change a player's career and earnings overnight.
- win a major
- play in a major
- golf major
- tennis major
- championship
broader term; not every championship is a major, but all majors are championships
- Grand Slam event
specifically used for the four major tennis tournaments
Grammar Patterns
win/play + a major
the + [number] + majors
Usage Note
In golf, the four majors are the Masters, the PGA Championship, the US Open, and The Open Championship (British Open). In tennis, the four majors make up the Grand Slam events. The word is also used for major tournaments in bowling and some other sports.
4. the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, cons
the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of the American League and the National League, where the best players compete.
After three seasons in the minor leagues, Eli finally made it to the majors.
collocation: make it to the majors
The player hit over forty home runs in his first year in the majors.
preposition: in the majors
Very few baseball players get the chance to play in the majors for more than a few seasons.
The young pitcher hopes to reach the majors before his twenty-first birthday.
- the majors
- play in the majors
- reach the majors
- make the majors
- Major League Baseball
the official name of the organisation that operates the majors
- the big leagues
informal synonym, also used figuratively outside sports
- the minors
the lower-level professional leagues that develop players for the majors
Grammar Patterns
the majors
play in the majors
make it to the majors
Usage Note
Often capitalised as 'the Majors'. The singular 'major' is less common — speakers typically say 'the majors' or 'Major League Baseball' (MLB). This sense overlaps partly with the adjective sense 'major league' but functions as a noun referring to the league itself.
major — verb
1. to study a particular subject as the main focus of your university degree — for
to study a particular subject as the main focus of your university degree — for example, if you major in economics, economics takes up most of your course credits.
Meera decided to major in environmental science after volunteering at a national park.
pattern: major in + [subject]
Christopher majored in philosophy as an undergraduate before studying law.
past tense: majored in
Students who major in engineering must take many mathematics and physics courses.
What do you plan to major in when you go to university next year?
question form: What ... major in
- major in business
- major in history
- major in engineering
- decide to major in
- plan to major in
- specialise in
used in British English and for postgraduate studies; broader than 'major in'
Grammar Patterns
major in + [subject]
Usage Note
Always followed by 'in + subject name'. The object of study cannot come directly after 'major' — you cannot say 'major economics', only 'major in economics'. This is primarily US and Canadian usage; British English uses 'study' or 'read' instead.
Common Mistakes
major — idiom
1. Sir John Major (born 1943) served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1
Sir John Major (born 1943) served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1990 to 1997, succeeding Margaret Thatcher and leading the Conservative Party.
Sir John Major was the Prime Minister who signed the Maastricht Treaty for the UK.
historical figure reference
During Sir John Major's term, the UK experienced an economic downturn in the early 1990s.
Sir John Major became Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher left office in 1990.
Sir John Major was a key figure in the Northern Ireland peace process in the 1990s.
Word family
- majoritynounB2
- majorlyadverbC1
- major-domonoun
- majorettenoun
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All four words describe something important or weighty, but they differ in emphasis. 'Major' is the broadest — it can mean large in size (a major road), importance (a major discovery), or seriousness (a major illness). 'Significant' focuses on measurable effect or meaning: a significant rise in temperature is one that can be observed and matters. 'Serious' adds a sense of danger or risk: a serious injury could be life-threatening, whereas a major injury might simply require extensive treatment. 'Critical' implies urgency and potential failure: a critical decision is one you must get right, or the project fails. 'Substantial' is about size or amount: a substantial meal is large, not necessarily important. In short: major = overall big deal; significant = noticeably impactful; serious = risky; critical = make-or-break; substantial = large in quantity.
Common collocations
Adverbs
- fairly major
- pretty major
- quite major
- truly major
Prepositions
- major in
Etymology
The word 'major' comes from Latin 'major', meaning 'greater' — it is the comparative form of 'magnus' (great, large). Latin passed it into Old French as 'majur', and English borrowed it in the 13th–14th centuries. The military rank of major (from 'sergeant major', later shortened) appeared in the 16th century. The academic sense (major subject) developed in American universities in the late 19th century. The musical sense — distinguishing major from minor scales — dates from the 17th century, based on the 'greater' (major) third interval versus the 'lesser' (minor) one.