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major
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
major
I.adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a big/great/major disadvantage
▪ This method has one major disadvantage: its cost.
a big/huge/major success
▪ The government claimed the policy was a major success.
a big/large/major city
▪ They have stores in Houston, Dallas, and other big cities.
a big/major attraction
▪ The ducks and geese are a big attraction to children.
a big/major breakthrough
▪ Einstein believed he was on the verge of a big breakthrough.
a big/major event (=important)
▪ Getting married is a major event in anyone’s life.
a big/major fire
▪ A big fire was raging at the fuel depot.
a big/major scandal
▪ The president was forced to resign following a major scandal.
a big/major shift
▪ There has recently been a big shift in the way people are accessing information.
a big/major/huge difference
▪ I think you’ll notice a big difference.
a big/major/huge/tremendous challenge
▪ Building the tunnel presented a major challenge to engineers.
a big/major/large chain
▪ It is one of Europe’s biggest clothing chains.
a big/major/massive/huge investment
▪ Developing a new computer system is always a big investment for any organisation.
a big/major/serious/heavy blow
▪ The earthquake was a serious blow to the area’s tourism industry.
a great/major victory
▪ He said the court’s decision was a great victory.
a great/major/important discovery
▪ The archaeologists had made an important discovery.
a great/major/substantial benefit
▪ The new system will be a great benefit to the company.
a great/vast/major improvement (=very big)
▪ The new computer system was a vast improvement.
a key/major/big issue (=very important)
▪ For me, the big issue is cost.
a major accident
▪ News is coming in of a major rail accident.
a major category
▪ a major category of vehicle
▪ Theft is one of the major categories of crime.
a major centre for/of sth
▪ The region has been named as a major centre of international terrorism.
a major client (=an important one)
▪ Some of our major clients have not taken the news of the merger well.
a major competitor
▪ Japan soon became a major competitor in the electronics industry.
a major constraint
▪ In Egypt, the shortage of land and water is a major constraint on agriculture.
a major decision (=very important)
▪ The government now has some major decisions to make.
a major defect (=very serious)
▪ They have found a major defect in the program.
a major earthquake (=very big)
▪ If a major earthquake hits a large city, millions could die.
a major element (=very important)
▪ Private study is a major element of the students’ timetable.
a major emergency (=a dangerous situation that affects a large number of people)
▪ In a major emergency, the national guard may be called in.
a major exception (=very important)
▪ The major exception to the general downturn, the tourism sector, has actually seen an increase in profits.
a major exhibition (=large and important)
▪ His work is the subject of a major exhibition at the National Gallery.
a major explosionformal
▪ We are getting reports of a major explosion at the oil refinery.
a major incident (=very serious)
▪ The most recent major incident was an explosion at an oil refinery.
a major modification
▪ They made major modifications to the house to allow him to use his wheelchair.
a major motorway
▪ Two of Britain's major motorways pass through Nottingham.
a major power (=very important one)
▪ There will be representatives from all the world's major powers at the conference.
a major project
▪ The company is funding a major research project into the causes of addiction.
a major reason (also a big reasoninformal)
▪ His personality was a major reason for his success.
▪ A big reason for the decrease in smoking is the ban on cigarette advertising.
a major reform
▪ He called for a major reform of the drug laws.
a major repair (=a big one)
▪ The car didn't need to have any major repairs done.
a major reservation (=serious or important)
▪ We have major reservations about his ability to do the job.
a major review
▪ We are conducting a major review of our procedures.
a major scheme
▪ The government is introducing a major housebuilding scheme in the area.
a major setback
▪ Losing our key player would be a major setback for the team.
a major speech (=very important)
▪ This was her first major speech as party leader.
a major theme
▪ Cultural change is the second major theme of his work.
a major town
▪ It is one of the UK’s biggest retailers with shops in every major town.
a major/big role
▪ It was his first major role.
a major/big/great worry
▪ Traffic congestion is not yet a major worry in the area.
a major/big/large customer (=who is important and buys a lot)
▪ America is a big customer for Japanese goods.
a major/dominant/key etc player
▪ a firm that is a dominant player on Wall Street
a major/great contribution
▪ Tourism makes a major contribution to the local economy.
a major/important achievement
▪ Writing the book was a major achievement.
a major/important concession
▪ We made some major concessions in order to protect national security.
a major/important port
▪ The city became a major port.
a major/important source
▪ The lead mines were once a major source of employment for the islanders.
a major/leading cause of sth
▪ In this country, debt is a major cause of homelessness.
▪ Drug abuse is the leading cause of crime and violence.
a major/massive programme
▪ A major programme of modernisation is transforming public transport in London.
a major/minor factor (=the most or least important of several factors)
▪ The country’s huge mineral reserves are a major factor behind its economic strength.
a major/minor operation
▪ The unit cares for patients recovering from major operations.
a major/serious obstacle
▪ Debt is a major obstacle to economic growth.
▪ There are serious obstacles to obtaining sufficient funding.
a major/serious/deep/severe crisis
▪ Our farming industry has been hit by a serious crisis.
a major/significant expansion (=large and important)
▪ The company is planning a major expansion of its retail outlets.
a major/significant impact (=important)
▪ The war had a major impact on French domestic politics.
a major/significant landmark (=an important one)
▪ From Parliament Hill, you can see most of London's major landmarks.
a massive/major stroke (=one that has very bad effects)
▪ Her brother has just died of a massive stroke.
a serious/major embarrassment (=severe and important)
▪ This episode has been a serious embarrassment for the club.
a serious/major hazard
▪ Lead pipes are a serious hazard to health.
a serious/major objection
▪ There were serious objections to using the videotaped evidence at the trial.
a serious/major problem
▪ Lifting things carelessly can lead to serious back problems.
a serious/major riot
▪ The jail was hit by a serious riot last year.
a serious/major threat
▪ Bad air quality poses a serious threat to public health.
a top award/a major award
▪ The restaurant has won several top awards.
▪ Their design won a major award at a Paris exhibition.
an important/major industry
▪ Agriculture is still a major industry in Scotland.
an important/major role
▪ She played an important role in her husband’s political career.
an important/major/big step
▪ The move is seen as a major step forward for UK firms.
an important/significant/major influence
▪ Parents have an important influence on children's development.
▪ He was a major influence on my musical tastes.
big/major
▪ Going to a new school is a big change for children.
big/major
▪ The teachers’ strike had a big effect on many schools.
big/major/main etc polluter
▪ a list of Canada’s worst polluters
big/major/serious
▪ The school’s biggest problem is a shortage of cash.
drum major
great/major controversy
▪ That decision was the second major controversy of the Prime Minister's career.
key/major/important etc component
▪ Exercise is one of the key components of a healthy lifestyle.
leading/main/major proponent
▪ Dr George is one of the leading proponents of this view.
major accomplishment
▪ It was a major accomplishment for a player who had been injured so recently.
major advance
▪ a major advance
major general
major implications (=very important or serious)
▪ The lack of affordable housing has major implications for families living in rural areas.
Major Leagues
major restructuring
▪ the major restructuring of our armed forces
major upheaval
▪ Moving house is a major upheaval.
major/definite/big etc plus
▪ Some knowledge of Spanish is a definite plus in this job.
major/leading exporter
▪ Japan is a leading exporter of textiles.
major/minor surgery
▪ He will require major surgery to remove the lump.
▪ The President will undergo minor surgery today to remove a small growth from his finger.
major/serious/severe difficulties
▪ By then, we were having serious financial difficulties.
make great/major/giant etc strides
▪ The government has made great strides in reducing poverty.
minor/major etc alterations
▪ The King’s Arms pub is to undergo extensive alterations.
sergeant major
serious/major/basic/minor etc flaw
▪ a slight flaw in the glass
serious/notable/major omission
▪ Your failing to note her mistakes is a serious omission.
substantial/major/considerable (=very large)
▪ He owns a substantial portion of the company.
the major/main/principal export
▪ Agricultural products are the country’s principal exports.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ NOUN
advantage
▪ Another major advantage is the insight it is capable of yielding into the social and communicative norms of the community.
▪ One major advantage the development partnership had was the perception of Zeckendorf as different from other potential landlords.
▪ A major advantage of both MID-TEL and MID-CRED is that neither system requires customers to install expensive computer equipment.
▪ This production flaunts a major advantage the National has over traditional West End theaters, with their proscenium stages.
▪ A major advantage of a personal pension is that if you change jobs you can take it with you without penalty.
▪ The major advantage of a unitary state is the presence of clear, hierarchical authority.
▪ Another major advantage is the detailed notes for technicians relating to each of the activities.
▪ There are four major advantages to adopting this approach.
cause
▪ Construction faults, equipment failure and inadequate training of staff were given as the major causes of incidents.
▪ Some officials relied on the evidence of headmen; others believed that the intrigues of headmen were a major cause of crime.
▪ One major cause of the current correction, many analysts and tech executives say, resides on Wall Street.
▪ Conclusions Cigarette smoking is a major cause of arterial disease, whether of the heart, brain or legs.
▪ The inability to control this growth is a major cause of business failures.
▪ Myocardial infarction and stroke, two of the major causes of death in the elderly, are hardly mentioned in these series.
▪ Some historians consider lead poisoning a major cause of the fall of the Roman Empire.
change
▪ Their bafflement is increased when they find such major changes made.
▪ What major change was permitted on beer labels in 1995? 10.
▪ In all these cases, war was the result of major changes in the development of societies.
▪ The last chapter returns to the formula issue and the major changes proposed in the Brookings study.
▪ However, it is unlikely that any major changes will be made.
▪ In the United States unemployment insurance, accident compensation and public assistance underwent no major changes.
▪ The review drew criticism as overly secretive, especially as it became clear that Rumsfeld was contemplating major change.
city
▪ Yorick had wanted the Hammersmith Odeon for his comeback concert, followed by a nationwide tour of Britain's major cities.
▪ In 1967, the nation was traumatized by race riots in a number of major cities.
▪ Riots were increasing over the capital, and communications had been broken with the other two major cities of Nicaea.
▪ Every province, every major city, has offices in Hong Kong.
▪ However, the groups are poorly financed, too few in number, and only found in major cities.
▪ In quest of mass circulation and advertising support, the major city newspapers gradually developed a tradition of political and journalistic independence.
▪ It looks at the north-south divide, and at the shift of jobs out of major cities.
▪ No doubt there are many humorous possibilities in the comic plight of a primitive boy in a modern major city.
company
▪ Table 8.3 lists the major companies supplying sports clothing and footwear.
▪ They had agreed to help distribute products for some major companies.
▪ The major companies operating in these markets spend huge sums on marketing in order to promote their products globally.
▪ Future increases of that magnitude are doubtful, though, as major companies such as AT&038;.
▪ The fall in record sales during the 1980s has damaged the newer sector of the industry more than the major companies.
▪ He had an excellent background in the business, having worked in exactly the same kind of area for a major company.
▪ What is the main reason for local companies' preference for cooperation or partnership with those major companies in the pipeline development?
▪ My inquiries suggest that roughly the same figure applies to all major companies in this country.
component
▪ There is no doubt that inheritance is a major component of the problem.
▪ Finch said the major components of the plane are working well.
▪ The two major components of these new managerial powers and responsibilities are financial delegation and staffing delegation.
▪ Such plants already have the major components of the coal handling equipment available for use.
▪ It is especially prized because carbon, its major component, is by far the most important of all plant nutrients.
▪ Many gay men today cringe at the thought that this was a major component of the sexuality of our precursors.
▪ Ceramides - a major component of lipids.
▪ They are all fairly similar and usually use good vinegar and wine as major components.
concern
▪ The other major concern of every caterer is cost-effectiveness.
▪ Her major concern is how she will succeed at making sure the people on the teams get along with one another.
▪ Are its major concerns diagnosis and prescription, as in medicine?
▪ The translation of bifocal vision to design upon a canvas was a major concern of Cézanne.
▪ Crime recently topped the Field Poll among major concerns of California voters.
▪ That inevitably makes censorship, of whatever sort of material and in whatever environment, a matter of major concern.
▪ One of their major concerns was the slump in wool prices.
contribution
▪ He has made a major contribution to public understanding of science through his books, lectures and broadcasts and through the Exploratory.
▪ Another major contribution was simply continuity.
▪ His book is a major contribution to that end.
▪ But his major contribution to the corporate life of the city was his work for the relief of the poor.
▪ The next major contribution to the field was made at the Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 1957.
▪ He then made a major contribution to the development of the internal combustion engine, originating the use of aluminium for pistons.
▪ Another major contribution by Newton was of course his law of gravitation.
▪ His first major contribution came in the field of meteor-observing in the 1930s.
decision
▪ A major decision would have to be taken on whether to include financial reporting as well as auditing.
▪ Earlier in chapter 2 we saw the major decisions that the students in the Foxfire program are expected to make.
▪ At another level, there is the question of who should determine major decisions which affect local communities.
▪ Everyone is involved in major decisions affecting the plant.
▪ Control of all major decisions must be returned to the unions.
▪ But in the mutable world of the modern organization, major decisions are seldom made solely on the basis of hard facts.
▪ They might only be minor, but to the person you're talking to it's a major decision.
▪ These are not encouraging recommendations for expanding the role of public opinion in major decision making about affairs of state.
difference
▪ The major differences in rift characteristics relate to their position with respect to plate boundaries and the intensity of volcanic activity associated with them.
▪ Several bills have been advanced, and major differences are emerging.
▪ The major difference between theorem proving and other forms of monotonic search is just the choice of basic operators.
▪ There are major differences on time limits, work requirements, exemptions, and general assistance payments.
▪ He suggested that there are three major differences between representational and sensorimotor behavior.
▪ What major difference is there between the Yorkshire and Lancashire coalfields?
▪ There were also major differences in the two trials.
event
▪ The opening of a nuclear construction site is a major event in the economic and social life of a region.
▪ Denver has been seen at many major events in the Monterey area.
▪ Hospital closures are major events in the lives of many users.
▪ Please ensure you include all major events and the names of sponsors where they appear in the name of the event.
▪ It is hoped Destination Darlington will have a guide to some of the major events happening in the town throughout the year.
factor
▪ The Soviet situation was seen as a major factor in impelling the two countries to seek their current reconciliation.
▪ The physical strength of these bodies is a major factor in determining how hazardous they are.
▪ A major factor here is that pupils enjoy finding information.
▪ But a major factor is that many baby boomers are moving into their peak earning years, according to Sheehan.
▪ Undoubtedly a major factor here is the 5ins longer wheelbase and wider front and rear tracks.
▪ However, convincing evidence shows that lack of education has faded as a major factor.
▪ Another major factor in the apparent reduction of the parties' role here is the effect of television on campaigning.
▪ Does not that show that public co-operation and awareness are major factors in reducing crime in our cities?
impact
▪ It will have a major impact on many areas of business life.
▪ The digital switches industry has a major impact on the I-way.
▪ Third, the major impact of disability on older people must be recognised within the social security system.
▪ Privacy advocates called it the most sweeping privacy law in decades and said it would have a major impact on health care.
▪ The proper handling of these expectations will have a major impact on the overall success of the company following the acquisition.
▪ The effort potentially could have a major impact on apparel industry working conditions worldwide.
▪ The housing slump has also had a major impact on removal firms.
▪ Most occupational and organizational groups recognize that the decisions of the political system sometimes have major impacts on their own interests.
influence
▪ Continuing growth has meant that as investors, insurance companies and pension funds represent a major influence in the assets markets.
▪ She had been a major influence in my life, and helped me through the rough patches.
▪ There appear to have been two major influences behind the modification of the classic pacta tertiis rule.
▪ For example, post-puberty is the time when peer group friendships may take over from parents as the major influence.
▪ The second major influence on investment demand is age.
▪ His other major influence was to be his wife, the literary critic and translator Farzaneh Taheri.
▪ When we got to Turnberry we found the rough was going to be a major influence on the tournament.
issue
▪ Does the political leadership act with unanimity on all major issues? 2.
▪ Technology transfer was also recognized as a major issue.
▪ The Toronto Stock Exchange index of 300 major issues ended the year at 4713, up 12 %.
▪ As Chapter 17 argues, it is a major issue of public policy.
▪ Whether Proposition 140 imposes a lifetime ban was a major issue discussed by the state Supreme Court in 1991.
▪ Little problems, to do with timetabling or prescribed reading or marking, can boil up into major issues.
▪ Something that will help the jury to decide one of the major issues in this case.
league
▪ She had other business to cover, major league business.
▪ Tuttle and Garagiola visit major league clubhouses, telling the story, and they have achieved some results.
▪ Apparently, one black player in the major leagues was worth the humiliation.
▪ This is a much more predictable menace, however, at least to those in major league baseball.
▪ Nowadays, you know, a full set includes a card for every player in the major leagues.
▪ But his message was clear: Television amounted to little more than the minors, compared with the major leagues of movies.
▪ Learning from Schmidt: For 10 years, Dave Schmidt pitched in the major leagues.
▪ Davis had all the skills to make it in the major leagues.
obstacle
▪ A major obstacle to understanding is the use of technical jargon which is unintelligible to the buyer.
▪ Another major obstacle is the fair circuit and its impact on the higher quality stables.
▪ The difference in regional house prices acts as a major obstacle to mobility of labour.
▪ There still are major obstacles ahead, such as trips to Georgetown and Villanova.
▪ While we agree with this, we would add another major obstacle, namely problems of definition of the object of study.
▪ The lack of money could also be a major obstacle.
▪ The only major obstacle remaining, mutual recognition, has clinched the deal.
▪ Is there not, furthermore, a major obstacle in the question of language?
operation
▪ It was, as has often been observed, a safe prediction that major operations would not take place in midwinter.
▪ In Venice it was a major operation, masterminded in this case by Michelato.
▪ A hysterectomy is a major operation with a long recovery period.
▪ And Nils was planning a major operation on our engine.
▪ The Chief Constable was also asked to launch a major operation in Wirral to crack down on suppliers.
▪ The 7100 chip architecture itself features 32-bit instructions, 64 major operation codes and 140 machine instructions.
▪ Despite the peaceful outcome it had been a major operation.
▪ A week ago she had a hysterectomy; a major operation that will take weeks, maybe months, to recover from.
part
▪ It follows that the duty can not be expected to play a major part in controlling managerialist tendencies.
▪ He wants to see grade-separated interchanges, and not freeways, become a major part of the congestion solution.
▪ No doubt the laying of the artificial grass pitch at Newry played a major part in getting their fixtures cleared up early.
▪ Anti-smoking activists are especially displeased that tobacco money will be playing a major part in the conventions.
▪ But a major part of the work is the creation of production facilities to treble capacity to around 10,000 cars a year.
▪ Sport and the coverage of sport on television is a major part of the everyday life of the television audience.
▪ Gradually you should be able to phase out the tangible reinforcers when tantrums are no longer a major part of her repertoire.
▪ The major part of the flight from Nairobi was uneventful and the weather was good, if a little hazy, at Lusaka.
party
▪ The limits within which committees may modify government proposals are fixed by the major parties.
▪ Only 448 people switched to one of the major parties.
▪ Its two major parties scarcely deserve to be called political.
▪ Political consistency, however, has never been mandatory in either major party.
▪ Both major parties were seriously worried by the situation.
▪ Westbrook has been a major party contributor, and he chaired the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 1993-1994.
▪ All the major parties in the province can name members who have been murdered, attacked or intimidated.
▪ The study covered soft money gifts to the national, House and Senate committees of each major party.
player
▪ The Palatinate was a major player in the war which was both political and religious with alignments changing as events developed.
▪ Three of the six were major players.
▪ Heavy investment and brand support is promised by all the major players this year.
▪ To their surprise, many then become major players within their academic settings.
▪ The threat of a price war led to plunging shares for all the major players in the market.
▪ This is a man who has decided to be a major player in the city.
▪ The Bank is a major player in the sterling money market, buying and selling Treasury bills on a daily basis.
▪ He eventually sold these rights for a six-figure sum to a major player in the software market.
problem
▪ Another major problem can arise in house price differentials.
▪ This was spotty and not a major problem.
▪ One of the major problems with electric vehicles has been the lack of a battery with a high power-to-weight ratio.
▪ Unemployment, however, is not a major problem on the reservation.
▪ However, it is in reading that the major problem of achievement lies.
▪ The only major problem is the time I spend away from the family.
▪ But the Church is facing major problems.
▪ The major problem of public broadcasting so far has not been too much government meddling but too little financial support.
reason
▪ This is the major reason for the extremely low cost of the country's gasifiers.
▪ The forfeiture of self-created lobbies is perhaps the major reason for political inaction.
▪ The major reason is that ideas in politics are not just academic.
▪ There is one major reason for this: The governors are far more popular than congressional Republicans.
▪ He had no doubt that a major reason was drink or, sometimes, gambling.
▪ The high cost of such construction sites is a major reason no one else builds zeppelins these days.
▪ This is another major reason for the inadequate views of doubt among Christians.
role
▪ Class interests are often regarded as playing a major role in the way political institutions develop.
▪ These figures in turn played a major role in securing the support of Sen.
▪ I hope that next time we will have a woman in a major role.
▪ This astonishing discovery of polar ice on Mercury makes it clear that impacts play a major role on all the terrestrial planets.
▪ Therefore, cell volume regulatory mechanisms might also play a major role in balancing ion fluxes across the two membranes.
▪ Instead, Merrill has played a major role in urging more and stronger attack ads, according to campaign officials.
▪ This will continue to provide a major role for the profession in the conduct of life assurance and pensions business.
▪ Gorbachev also was quick to admit that the process of globalization played a major role in cracking open the closed Soviet society.
source
▪ The issue of Dissent survived as a major source of conflict.
▪ These products have been a major source of latex irritation for health-care workers.
▪ The relationship between Pauline and Chloe then became a major source of conflict in the marriage.
▪ But as we have seen, failures and mistakes are major sources of vital experience.
▪ Recruitment was a major source of anxiety following Boer War revelations about the high rate of recruits rejected on grounds of ill-health.
▪ Drillholes for oil and other resource exploration are major sources of information for geologists.
▪ Thus, for example, one of the major sources of income of elderly people is the occupational pension.
▪ Both Aristotle and Plato, our major sources of information about the golden age of Athenian democracy, were deeply critical.
step
▪ Silicone lubricant enhances recovery of nucleic acids after phenol-chloroform extraction Phenol-chloroform extraction is a major step in the purification of nucleic acids.
▪ Stereotactic surgery was a major step.
▪ This little volume represents another major step forward in the chronicling of such vehicles.
▪ And they knew that learning was a way out of the trap, a major step toward self-expression.
▪ Franco never took major steps when in doubt.
▪ It represents one of man's great architectural feats and was technically a major step forward.
▪ Analysis of financial statements can be broken down into four major steps.
▪ Later writers would often have us believe that all the major steps were taken very early on.
theme
▪ A major theme in local government is to control the power of the professional.
▪ Four major themes characterized its approach: 1.
▪ The major theme is a consideration of the interrelationships between various patterns of energy use and possible global warming.
▪ The supple interplay of major themes will furnish it with the exhilarating sense of a mind meticulous but free.
▪ Five major themes can be explored.
▪ Coursework gives a solid conceptual grounding introducing major themes from economics, sociology, history and business management.
▪ But that emerges as a major theme in Battle Of Wits.
▪ It is one of the major themes of Scripture.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
the Major Leagues
the greater/major part of sth
▪ But people tend to drink caffeine on a regular basis over long periods of time-often the greater part of a lifetime.
▪ For the Third World or rather the underdeveloped world these questions have existed for the greater part of this century.
▪ Her objective was to acquire Transylvania, and she now at once invaded that country and quickly occupied the greater part of it.
▪ I already had a stitch scar running the greater part of my left leg.
▪ Many of those who call themselves farmers because they still own land derive the major part of their incomes from non-agricultural occupations.
▪ No council can hope to sack a large portion of its staff, who take the greater part of its expenditure.
▪ The filtered beer is tank conditioned, but the greater part of output has a secondary fermentation in the bottle.
▪ Their discussion comprises the major part of the story, with the Professore arguing the old dialectical materialist line.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ All the world's major sporting events can be seen on HHS TV.
▪ Confidence is a major part of leadership.
▪ Gang activity that was limited to major cities has now spilled over to towns and rural areas.
▪ Heavy traffic is a major problem in most cities.
▪ I have to go on a major shopping trip before I start this job.
▪ I thought we agreed to talk to each other before making any major decisions.
▪ It's the chief executive who makes all the major decisions.
▪ Most major credit cards are accepted.
▪ Nuclear weapons are a major obstacle on the road to peace.
▪ She's had major surgery, but she's doing fine.
▪ Smoking is a major cause of heart disease.
▪ Think carefully before you decide on such a major undertaking.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ An experienced producer at a major London agency was recently asked to list them for the benefit of newcomers.
▪ Another major advantage is the insight it is capable of yielding into the social and communicative norms of the community.
▪ The dollar rose against a basket of 10 major currencies tracked by Finex, a financial futures exchange.
▪ The film still had nominees in all other major categories, including acting, directing and writing.
▪ The Spittal camp was round another major bend of the river, the last one, and not actually in sight.
▪ Tonight T-I again assured Dowty employees that there would be no major job losses.
▪ You have to grasp a major point.
II.noun
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ "What was your major?" "Political Science".
▪ Greg is a philosophy major.
▪ I'm changing my major to political science.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ All the majors and two of the mini-majors set up production subsidiaries in London.
▪ He would be going on to college and a major in Romance languages after high school.
▪ I think it made him think about the majors in a different way.
▪ One reason: a sharp drop in the number of undergraduate students choosing economics as a major.
▪ That said, Therapy?'s move from minor to major has reaped well-deserved rewards.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Major

Major \Ma"jor\, n. [F. major. See Major, a.]

  1. (Mil.) An officer next in rank above a captain and next below a lieutenant colonel; the lowest field officer.

  2. (Law) A person of full age.

  3. (Logic) 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].

    Note: In hypothetical syllogisms, the hypothetical premise is called the major.

  4. [LL. See Major.] A mayor. [Obs.]
    --Bacon.

Major

Major \Ma"jor\, [L. major, compar. of magnus great: cf. F. majeur. Cf. Master, Mayor, Magnitude, More, a.]

  1. 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.

  2. Of greater dignity; more important.
    --Shak.

  3. Of full legal age; adult. [Obs.]

  4. (Mus.) Greater by a semitone, either in interval or in difference of pitch from another tone.

    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.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
major

c.1300, from Latin maior (earlier *magjos), irregular comparative of magnus "large, great" (see magnate). Used in music (of modes, scales, or chords) since 1690s, on notion of an interval a half-tone greater than the minor.

major

military rank, 1640s, from French major, short for sergent-major, originally a higher rank than at present, from Medieval Latin major "chief officer, magnate, superior person," from Latin maior "an elder, adult," noun use of the adjective (see major (adj.)). The musical sense attested by 1797.

major

"focus (one's) studies," 1910, American English, from major (n.) in sense of "subject of specialization" (1890). Related: Majored; majoring. Earlier as a verb, in Scottish, "to prance about, or walk backwards and forwards with a military air and step" [Jamieson, 1825].

Wiktionary
major

Etymology 1 alt. a military rank between captain and lieutenant colonel n. a military rank between captain and lieutenant colonel Etymology 2

  1. Of great significance or importance. n. 1 (context US Canada Australia and New Zealand English) The main area of study of a student working toward a degree at a college or university. 2 (context US Canada Australia and New Zealand English) A student at a college or university concentrating on a given area of study. 3 A person of legal age. 4 (context logic English) The major premise. 5 (context Canadian football English) An alternate term for touchdown; short for "major score". 6 A large, commercially successful record label, as opposed to an indie. v

  2. to concentrate on a particular area of study as a student in a college or university

WordNet
major
  1. adj. of greater importance or stature or rank; "a major artist"; "a major role"; "major highways" [ant: minor]

  2. greater in scope or effect; "a major contribution"; "a major improvement"; "a major break with tradition"; "a major misunderstanding" [ant: minor]

  3. greater in number or size or amount; "a major portion (a majority) of the population"; "Ursa Major"; "a major portion of the winnings" [ant: minor]

  4. of the field of academic study in which one concentrates or specializes; "his major field was mathematics" [ant: minor]

  5. of a scale or mode; "major scales"; "the key of D major" [ant: minor]

  6. of greater seriousness or danger; "a major earthquake"; "a major hurricane"; "a major illness" [ant: minor]

  7. of full legal age; "major children" [ant: minor]

  8. of the elder of two boys with the same family name; "Jones major" [syn: major(ip)]

major
  1. n. a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain

  2. British statesman who was prime minister from 1990 until 1997 (born in 1943) [syn: John Major, John R. Major, John Roy Major]

  3. a university student who is studying a particular field as the principal subject; "she is a linguistics major"

  4. the principal field of study of a student at a university; "her major is linguistics"

major

v. have as one's principal field of study; "She is majoring in linguistics"

Gazetteer
Major -- U.S. County in Oklahoma
Population (2000): 7545
Housing Units (2000): 3540
Land area (2000): 956.759846 sq. miles (2477.996521 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 1.105637 sq. miles (2.863587 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 957.865483 sq. miles (2480.860108 sq. km)
Located within: Oklahoma (OK), FIPS 40
Location: 36.313820 N, 98.448638 W
Headwords:
Major
Major, OK
Major County
Major County, OK
Wikipedia
Major (disambiguation)

Major is a military rank. The word derives from the Latin maior (also spelled major), which means "greater".

Major or majors may also refer to:

Major (United Kingdom)

Major (Maj) is a military rank which is used by both the British Army and Royal Marines. The rank is superior to captain, and subordinate to lieutenant colonel. The insignia for a major is a crown. The equivalent rank in the Royal Navy is lieutenant commander, and squadron leader in the Royal Air Force.

Major

Major is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicators, Major is one rank senior to that of an army Captain, and one rank subordinate or below the rank of Lieutenant colonel. It is considered the most junior of the field officer ranks.

Majors are typically assigned as specialised executive or operations officers for battalion-sized units of 300 to 1,200 soldiers. In some militaries, notably France and Ireland, the rank of major is referred to as commandant, while in others it is known as captain-major. The rank of Major is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures, such as the Pennsylvania State Police, New York State Police, New Jersey State Police, and several others. As a police rank, Major roughly corresponds to the UK rank of Superintendent.

When used in hyphenated or combined fashion, the term can also imply seniority at other levels of rank, including general-major or major general, denoting a low-level general officer, and sergeant major, denoting the most senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) of a military unit. The term Major can also be used with a hyphen to denote the leader of a military band such as in pipe-major or drum-major.

Historically, the rank designation develops in English in the 1640s, taken from French majeur, in turn a shortening of sergent-majeur, which at the time designated a higher rank than at present.

Major (academic)

In the United States and Canada, an '''academic major or major concentration '' (informally 'major) is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits. A student who successfully completes the courses prescribed in an academic major qualifies for an undergraduate degree. The word "major" is also sometimes used administratively to refer to the academic discipline pursued by a graduate student or postgraduate student in a master's or doctoral program. The term may also apply to a focused field of an academic discipline that a student chooses at the doctoral studies level.

In the United States, in the second half of the 19th century, concentrated foci at the undergraduate level began to prosper and popularize, but the familiar term "major" did not appear until 1877 in a Johns Hopkins University catalogue. The major generally required 2 years of study. The minor, required one. Abbott Lawrence Lowell introduced the academic major system to Harvard University in 1910, during his presidency there. It required students to complete courses not only in a specialized discipline, but also in other subjects. Variations of this system are now definitive among tertiary education institutions in the United States and Canada.

Today, an academic major typically consists of a core curriculum, prescribed courses, a liberal arts curriculum, and several elective courses. The amount of latitude a student has in choosing courses varies from program to program. Typically, the courses of an academic major are portioned in several academic terms. An academic major is administered by select faculty in an academic department. A major administered by more than one academic department is called an interdisciplinary major. In addition, some students design their own major, subject to faculty approval.

Many labor economics studies report that employment and earnings vary by college major and this appears to be caused by differences in the labor market value of the skills taught in different majors. Majors also have different labor market value even after students complete graduate degrees such as law degrees or business degrees.

Whereas some students choose a major when first enrolling as an undergraduate at a school, others choose one later. Some schools even disallow students from declaring a major until the end of their second academic year.

A student who declares two academic majors is said to have a double major. A coordinate major is an ancillary major designed to complement the primary one. A coordinate major requires fewer course credits to complete. (Compare with academic minor and joint honours.)

Major (Sweden)

Major (Majuri in Finnish) is a military officer's rank in Sweden and Finland, ranking above Kapten and below Överstelöjtnant. Swedish Kapten(s) are promoted to the rank after the completion of a 40-week course at the National Defense College.

Finnish Defence Forces rank of Majuri is comparable to Ranks of NATO armies officers as OF-3.

Major (United States)

In the United States Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force, major is a field grade military officer rank above the rank of captain and below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of lieutenant commander in the other uniformed services. Although lieutenant commanders are considered junior officers by their respective services, the rank of major is considered field grade.

The pay grade for the rank of major is O-4. The insignia for the rank consists of a golden oak leaf, with slight stylized differences between the Army/Air Force version and the Marine Corps version. Promotion to major is governed by Department of Defense policies derived from the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act of 1980.

Major (Canada)
Please see " major" for other countries which use this rank

Major is a rank of the Canadian Forces. The rank insignia of a major in the Royal Canadian Air Force is two half-inch stripes with a quarter-inch stripe between. The rank insignia in the Canadian Army is a crown. Majors fill the positions of company/ squadron/ battery commanders, or deputy commanders of a battalion/ regiment; in the Air Force they are typically squadron second-in-command, or commander of a detached helicopter flight embarked onboard Canadian naval vessels. The naval equivalent rank for major is lieutenant-commander.

- Copy.svg|Dress uniform tunic Image:4 MAJ DEU(SHIRT).png|Uniform shirts green uniform (old insignia) Image:CADPAT temperate Maj.png| CADPAT uniform (old insignia) Image:CADPAT arid Maj.png|Arid-region CADPAT uniform (old insignia)

Force-Major (OF3)-2015.svg|Dress uniform tunic Image:Air Force slip-on Maj.png|Uniform shirts (old insignia) Image:Air Force olive Maj.png|CADPAT uniform

Category:Military ranks of Canada

Major (Germany)
For the use of this rank in other countries, see major. |-----

bgcolor="#efefef" colspan=2 align="center"|Major (Heer / Luftwaffe)''' |-----

align="center" colspan=2 style="border-bottom:2px solid gray;font-size:smaller" |

HD H 51 Major FJg.svg

LD B 51 Major.svg

|-----

Rank insignia

German officer rank |-----

Introduction

1956 |-----

Rank group

Commissioned officers |-----

Army / Air Force

Major |-----

Navy

Korvettenkapitän |-----

NATOequivalent

OF-3 |-----

Army

Major |-----

Air force

Squadron leader |-----

Navy

Lieutenant commander |-----

Major is the lowest staff officer rank in the German Army (Heer), German Air Force (Luftwaffe). The rank is rated OF-3 in NATO. The rank insignia is a silver oakleaf cluster with a silver pip (star).

The OF-3 equivalent of the German Navy (Marine) is the Korvettenkapitän.

To be appointed to the rank of Major, the officer has to pass a staff officer basic course (Stabsoffizierlehrgang) which is held at the German Armed Forces Command and Staff College (Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr), and serve in a post coded A13 or A13/A14.

In the German Army and the Joint Support Service (Streitkräftebasis), the waiting period between meeting the requirements for promotion and actual promotion to the rank of Major averages 15 months due to budget problems (as of July 2010).

Major (manga)

Major is a sports manga series by Takuya Mitsuda. It has been serialized in Shōnen Sunday and has been collected in 78 tankōbon volumes. In 1996, it received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen.

The manga series concluded in the 32nd issue of Shōnen Sunday for 2010, while the 78th and final volume of the manga series was released in the middle of December 2010 together with a special original video animation (OVA).

The series has been adapted into an anime series produced by NHK and Studio Hibari titled (using katakana instead of the manga's English characters). The first episode aired on November 13, 2004. The series ran for six seasons and the final episode originally aired on September 25, 2010. An animated film telling the story between the first and second seasons of the anime was released on December 13, 2008. Two OVAs were released on December 16, 2011, and January 18, 2012. They deal with The World Series chapter, which was skipped in the TV series.

In 2015, Shogakukan published under the name of Major 2nd, a sequel series featuring the life of Gorō's son Daigo.

Major (Sri Lanka)

In The Sri Lanka Army, major is a military rank which is used the Sri Lanka Army. The rank insignia for a major is the Sri Lankan coat of arms. The equivalent is Lieutenant-Commander in the Sri Lanka Navy and Squadron Leader in the Sri Lanka Air Force.

From 1949 to 1972, in the Ceylon Army the rank insignia for a major was a crown.

A major of the Sri Lanka Army would usually commanding independent companies, squadrons and batteries, but those that were organically part of a regiment or battalion were still usually commanded by captains. They would be second-in-command of battalions in infantry or regiments (in the artillery and armoured regiments) as well as serve as Brigade majors. During the Sri Lankan Civil War majors commanded area commands known as military sectors and have commanded battalions in combat.

Major (surname)

Major is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

  • Bobby Majors (born 1949), American football player
  • Clarence Major (born 1936), American poet
  • Edward Major (1615–ca. 1655), Virginia colonial politician
  • Fali Homi Major (born 1947), Indian air marshal
  • John Major (born 1943), UK Prime Minister in 1990–97
  • John C. Major (born 1931), Canadian jurist
  • John Clarkson Major (1826–1895), English manufacturing chemist and tar distiller, mayor of Wolverhampton 1875–1876
  • Johnny Majors (born 1935), American football player and coach
  • Lee Majors (born 1939), American actor
  • Leo Major (1921–2008), Canadian Army corporal
  • Les Major (1926–2001), English footballer
  • Mark Major (born 1970), Canadian ice hockey player
  • Shirley Majors (1914–1981), American football coach, father of Johnny Majors
  • Thomas Major (1720–1799), English engraver
  • William James Major (1881–1953), Canadian politician and jurist
  • William T. Major (1790–1867), American pastor
Major (given name)

Major is a given name which may refer to:

  • Major Applewhite (born 1978), American football quarterback and coach
  • Major Culbert (born 1987), American football player
  • Major Garrett (born 1962), American journalist
  • Major Harris (1947-2012), American R&B singer
  • Major Harris (born 1968), American football quarterback
  • Major Lance (1939–1994), American R&B singer
  • Major R. Owens (1936–2013), American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
  • Major Thibaut (born 1977), American politician

Usage examples of "major".

The sheriff thrust the papers at Major MacInnes and Abigail could only stare while he quickly scanned the pages.

Major MacInnes turned to watch Major Jennings returning with Corporal Lester and Private Sutton, and Abigail lowered her eyes to her lap.

Each great natural family has requisites that define it, and the characters that make it recognizable are the nearest to these fundamental conditions: thus, reproduction being the major function of the plant, the embryo will be its most important part, and it becomes possible to divide the vegetable kingdom into three classes: acotyledons, monocotyledons, and dicotyledons.

Serpent, Adad is my chosen adversary, the first major step in my rise to power.

Revenge and the hatred for the monsters that tore my body apart, were my major incentives to keep the search for Adeem alive.

Now, you may be thinking, where am I going to get the budget to buy advertising in a major sports arena?

Later arrivals could not have initiated any major changes in the language or culture, although they may have introduced one or more useful plants and an adze or two of exotic type.

Major Migel affectionately dubbed the Forest Hills trio, that they had entertained almost every delegate to the World Conference, keeping open house and lunching or dining as many of the foreign visitors as possible.

Well, I gets near the Major at table, and afore me stood a china utensil with two handles, full of soup, about the size of a foot-tub, with a large silver scoop in it, near about as big as a ladle of a maple sugar kettle.

Rock music then, unlike now, was the vehicle for social protest: lyrics were analysed in meticulous detail and the release of each new album was a major event.

The Shadow too had seen the empty truck and knew that the side issue of the stolen alumite had become a portion of the major quest, the finding of The Harlequin!

If someone had asked her, Crozie could not have explained that urea, which was the major component of urine, would decompose, become ammoniacal, in a warm environment.

Special Operations volunteers endured, everyone in the Ampersand group was grateful for the program of calisthenics, combat sports, and Swimming that Major Warren had imposed during the months at Gatehouse.

He knows the secrets of the seven major amphibia and of the four true beasts, the platypus and dugong and such as that.

Major General Sir John Ardagh, after winning honors in Hebrew and mathematics at Trinity College, Dublin, had changed from a clerical to a military career.