Greater in number, quantity, or extent; as, the major part of the assembly; the major part of the revenue; the major part of the territory. [1913 Webster]
Of greater dignity; more important. Shak. [1913 Webster]
Of full legal age; adult. [1913 Webster]
Greater by a semitone, either in interval or in difference of pitch from another tone. [1913 Webster]

Major key (Mus.), a key in which one and two, two and three, four and five, five and six and seven, make major seconds, and three and four, and seven and eight, make minor seconds. -- Major offense (Law), an offense of a greater degree which contains a lesser offense, as murder and robbery include assault. -- Major scale (Mus.), the natural diatonic scale, which has semitones between the third and fourth, and seventh and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees; the scale of the major mode, of which the third is major. See Scale, and Diatonic. -- Major second (Mus.), a second between whose tones is a difference in pitch of a step. -- Major sixth (Mus.), a sixth of four steps and a half step. In major keys the third and sixth from the key tone are major. Major keys and intervals, as distinguished from minors, are more cheerful. -- Major third (Mus.), a third of two steps.

major, n. [F. major. See Major, a.].

An officer next in rank above a captain and next below a lieutenant colonel; the lowest field officer. [1913 Webster]
A person of full age. [1913 Webster]
That premise which contains the major term. It its the first proposition of a regular syllogism; as: No unholy person is qualified for happiness in heaven [the major]. Every man in his natural state is unholy [minor]. Therefore, no man in his natural state is qualified for happiness in heaven [conclusion or inference]. [1913 Webster]
" In hypothetical syllogisms, the hypothetical premise is called the major." [1913 Webster]
A mayor. Bacon. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

major, adj., n., & v.
--adj.
1 important, large, serious, significant (a major road; a major war; the major consideration must be their health).
2 (of an operation) serious or life-threatening.
3 Mus. a (of a scale) having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. b (of an interval) greater by a semitone than a minor interval (major third). c (of a key) based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect (D major).
4 of full age.
5 Brit. (appended to a surname, esp. in public schools) the elder of two brothers or the first to enter the school (Smith major).
6 Logic a (of a term) occurring in the predicate or conclusion of a syllogism. b (of a premiss) containing a major term.
--n.
1 Mil. a an army officer next below lieutenant-colonel and above captain. b an officer in charge of a section of band instruments (drum major; pipe major).
2 a person of full age.
3 US a a student's special subject or course. b a student specializing in a specified subject (a philosophy major).
4 Logic a major term or premiss.
--v.intr. (foll. by in) US study or qualify in a subject (majored in theology).

Idiom

major axis the axis of a conic, passing through its foci. major-general an officer next below a lieutenant-general. major league US a league of major importance in baseball etc. major part (often foll. by of) the majority. major piece Chess a rook or queen. major planet Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune. major prophet Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or Daniel. major suit Bridge spades or hearts.

Derivative

majorship n.

Etymology

ME f. L, compar. of magnus great

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THESAURUS

major

ADC, CO, OD, a cut above, above, academic specialty, adult, ahead, aide, aide-de-camp, area, ascendant, better, big, big-league, big-name, big-time, bigger, biggest, bigwig, bigwigged, brigadier, brigadier general, capital, capping, captain, chicken colonel, chief, chief of staff, chosen, classical education, cock, colonel, commandant, commander, commander in chief, commanding officer, commissioned officer, company officer, consequential, considerable, core curriculum, course, course of study, critical, crucial, curriculum, dangerous, discipline, distinguished, dominant, dominating, double-barreled, earthshaking, eclipsing, elder, eldest, elective, eminent, exceeding, excellent, excelling, exec, executive officer, extensive, fell, field, field marshal, field officer, finer, first lieutenant, first-born, firstling, five-star general, foremost, former, four-star general, general, general education, general officer, general studies, generalissimo, grand, grave, great, greater, grievous, grown man, grownup, heavyweight, hefty, high-powered, higher, humanities, important, in ascendancy, in the ascendant, jemadar, junior officer, key, key signature, keynote, large, large-scale, larger, legalis homo, liberal arts, lieutenant, lieutenant colonel, lieutenant general, main, major general, major key, man, marechal, marked, marshal, material, mature man, mediant, minor, momentous, name, no chicken, notable, noteworthy, of choice, officer, older, oldest, one up on, one-star general, orderly officer, outstanding, over, paramount, pedal point, predominant, preeminent, primary, prime, primogenitary, principal, proseminar, quadrivium, rare, refresher course, risaldar, rivaling, scientific education, self-important, seminar, senior, senior officer, serious, shavetail, significant, sirdar, sizable, specialty, staff officer, star, stellar, study, subahdar, subaltern, subdiscipline, subdominant, subject, sublieutenant, submediant, substantial, subtonic, super, superior, supertonic, surpassing, technical education, the Old Man, the brass, three-star general, tonality, tonic, tonic key, top brass, topping, transcendent, transcendental, transcending, trivium, two-star general, ugly, upper, vital, woman, world-shaking, worst

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ROGET THESAURUS

major

Superiority

N superiority, majority, greatness, advantage, pull, preponderance, preponderation, vantage ground, prevalence, partiality, personal superiority, nobility, Triton among the minnows, primus inter pares, nulli secundus, captain, crackajack, supremacy, preeminence, lead, maximum, record, trikumia, climax, culmination, transcendence, ne plus ultra, lion's share, Benjamin's mess, excess, surplus, (redundancy), superior, greater, major, higher, exceeding, great, distinguished, ultra, vaulting, more than a match for, supreme, greatest, utmost, paramount, preeminent, foremost, crowning, first-rate, unrivaled peerless, matchless, none such, second to none, sans pareil, unparagoned, unparalleled, unequalled, unapproached, unsurpassed, superlative, inimitable facile princeps, incomparable, sovereign, without parallel, nulli secundus, ne plus ultra, beyond compare, beyond comparison, culminating, transcendent, transcendental, plus royaliste que le Roi, more catholic than the Pope increased, enlarged, beyond, more, over, over the mark, above the mark, above par, upwards of, in advance of, over and above, at the top of the scale, at its height, eminently, egregiously, preeminently, surpassing, prominently, superlatively, supremely, above all, of all things, the most, to crown all, kat exochin, par excellence, principally, especially, particularly, peculiarly, a fortiori, even, yea, still more, I shall not look upon his like again, deos fortioribus addesse.

Master

N master, padrone, lord, lord paramount, commander, commandant, captain, chief, chieftain, sirdar, sachem, sheik, head, senior, governor, ruler, dictator, leader, boss, cockarouse, sagamore, werowance, lord of the ascendant, cock of the walk, cock of the roost, gray mare, mistress, potentate, liege, liege lord, suzerain, sovereign, monarch, autocrat, despot, tyrant, oligarch, crowned head, emperor, king, anointed king, majesty, imperator, protector, president, stadholder, judge, ceasar, kaiser, czar, tsar, sultan, soldan, grand Turk, caliph, imaum, shah, padishah, sophi, mogul, great mogul, khan, lama, tycoon, mikado, tenno, inca, cazique, voivode, landamman, seyyid, Abuna, cacique, czarowitz, grand seignior, prince, duke, archduke, doge, elector, seignior, marland, margrave, rajah, emir, wali, sheik nizam, nawab, empress, queen, sultana, czarina, princess, infanta, duchess, margravine, czarevna, czarita, maharani, rani, rectrix, regent, viceroy, exarch, palatine, khedive, hospodar, beglerbeg, three-tailed bashaw, pasha, bashaw, bey, beg, dey, scherif, tetrarch, satrap, mandarin, subahdar, nabob, maharajah, burgrave, laird, collector, commissioner, deputy commissioner, woon, the authorities, the powers that be, the government, staff, etat major, aga, official, man in office, person in authority, sircar, sirkar, Sublime Porte, marshal, field marshal, marechal, general, generalissimo, commander in chief, seraskier, hetman, lieutenant general, major general, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, centurion, skipper, lieutenant, first lieutenant, second lieutenant, sublieutenant, officer, staff officer, aide-de-camp, brigadier, brigade major, adjutant, jemidar, ensign, cornet, cadet, subaltern, noncommissioned officer, warrant officer, sergeant, sergeant major, color sergeant, corporal, corporal major, lance corporal, acting corporal, drum major, captain general, dizdar, knight marshal, naik, pendragon, mayor, mayoralty, prefect, chancellor, archon, provost, magistrate, syndic, alcalde, alcaid, burgomaster, corregidor, seneschal, alderman, councilman, committeeman, councilwoman, warden, constable, portreeve, lord mayor, officer, dewan, fonctionnaire, admiral, admiralty, rear admiral, vice admiral, port admiral, commodore, captain, commander, lieutenant, ensign, skipper, mate, master, officer of the day, OD, navarch, da locum melioribus, der Furst ist der erste Diener seines Staats, the prince is the first servant of his state, lord of thy presence and no land beside.

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