mini-, minor-, minut-, minu-, min-

1. Not very important or valuable: "The man's role in the project was minor, but he said that he was not worried about such minor details."
2. Not very serious or not causing much trouble or damage: "The delay in starting the project will be minor and it will probably even be a minor annoyance."

"Certain Japanese islands suffered comparatively minor damage from the tsunami."

3. Having semitones between the second and the third, the fifth and the sixth, and sometimes the seventh and the eighth notes in a musical scale: "He learned that in music there are minor musical scales or a fixed series of musical notes in which the third note is a half step lower than that of the related major scale."
4. Those who are still not old enough to have the rights of an adult: "The parents have minor children living in their home."
5. A reference to a secondary field of academic concentration or specialization: "The student had a minor specialization in her university studies that had fewer requirements than her primary or major subject of study."

1. Someone who is not yet old enough to have the rights of an adult: The store was forbidden to sell cigarettes to minors.
2. Especially in the United States, a second academic subject which is studied by a college or university student in addition to a main subject: Margaret's son majored in linguistics with a minor in computer science.

1. To have a specified second academic subject of study in addition to a main subject: In the university, Mark's daughter majored in business administration and minored in social services.
2. To pursue academic studies in a minor field: James was considering the possibility of minoring in music and Spanish.

Monroe's friend decided to minor in theology and art history.

Harriet's brother minors in electrical engineering and his sister is minoring in political science.

1. A small number of people or things that are part of a larger group but different in some way from most of the group: The wage proposal is opposed by a minority of the union members.
2. A group of people, within a society, whose members have different ethnic, racial, national, religious, sexual, political, linguistic, or other characteristics from the rest of a group or population: The religious group is becoming an influential minority in Adam's community.
3. A period when a person is not old enough to have the full rights of an adult: Teenagers are in a status of being a status of a minority because they are younger than the legal age of adulthood.

The leader of the political party which has fewer members than the leading party in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives: "The House and the Senate minority leaders could not agree on what to do with the bill."

Relating to something which is very small or tiny in size or amount: Tim was writing a minuscule note to his mother to explain why he was coming home early from school and going to bed feeling sick because she was out shopping and he felt that he would be asleep when she returned home. © ALL rights are reserved.

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