minor
Definitions
Lesser in size, importance, or seriousness; not major.
较小的；次要的；不严重的。
(Music) of or based on a minor scale, often sounding sad.
（音乐）小调的，常显忧伤。
A person below the legal age of full responsibility.
未成年人。
A secondary field of study at college.
（大学的）辅修专业。
To study something as a secondary subject (minor in).
辅修（某专业）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedminor is Latin minor, the comparative of parvus/minimus — literally 'smaller, lesser.' Of two things, the lesser one is the side issue, so 'smaller' became 'less important.' That covers a minor injury (not serious), a minor key (the 'lesser' of the two scales), a minor (legally a 'lesser,' not-yet-full adult), and a college minor (the lesser of your two subjects).
Root minu still carries 49 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.minor injury轻伤
- 2.minor role次要角色
- 3.minor problem小问题
- 4.minor key小调
- 5.minor in [subject]辅修（某专业）
Example Sentences
- 1.
It was only a minor injury, so he kept playing.
- 2.
The sonata is written in a minor key.
- 3.
The film is not suitable for minors.
- 4.
She is majoring in biology and minoring in Spanish.
Easily Confused
minor vs miner — homophones, totally different. A minor is a young person or something lesser; a miner digs ore underground (from the unrelated 'mine' root). 'Coal miner,' never 'coal minor.'
Synonym Comparison
- minor — lesser in rank/importance, the opposite of major: a minor role
- small — about physical size: a small room
- slight — faint, barely noticeable: a slight delay
- trivial — so minor it hardly matters: a trivial detail
- secondary — second in order or priority: a secondary concern