minor definition

A secondary area of concentration.

1. Inferior in bulk, degree, importance, etc.; less; smaller; of little account; as, minor divisions of a body.

2. Less by a semitone in interval or difference of pitch; as, a minor third.

<medicine> Asia Minor The form of the minor scale is various. The strictly correct form has the third and sixth minor, with a semitone between the seventh and eighth, which involves an augmented second interval, or three semitones, between the sixth and seventh, as, 6/F, 7/G#, 8/A. But, for melodic purposes, both the sixth and the seventh are sometimes made major in the ascending, and minor in the descending, scale, thus: See Major.

<logic> Minor term of syllogism, the subject of the conclusion.

Origin: L, a comparative with no positive; akin to AS. Min small, G. Minder less, OHG. Minniro, a, min, adv, Icel. Minni, a, minnr, adv, Goth. Minniza, a, mins, adv, Ir. & Gael. Min small, tender, L. Minuere to lessen, Gr, Skr. Mi to damage. Cf. Minish, Minister, Minus, Minute.