1
as in lesser
having not so great importance or rank as another
some minor official with an exaggerated sense of his own importance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smaller
of little or less value or merit
a minor poet who is little read nowadays
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in small
lacking importance
only a minor detail, which we can easily disregard for the moment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of minor
Lise Pedersen, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
There are no plans for tweaks to make the London course faster, though very minor adjustments sometimes have to be made.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Ava Berger, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
After Barkey went off for a third-period delay-of-the-game minor, Couturier won the initial defensive zone draw and cleared the puck.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for minor
Adjective
Aline is unexpectedly freed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as authorities release detainees accused of minor offenses to free up the overpopulated jails.
—Lise Pedersen, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
There are no plans for tweaks to make the London course faster, though very minor adjustments sometimes have to be made.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
Over hours of closed-door testimony, the Clintons both denied knowledge of Epstein's crimes prior to his guilty plea in 2008 for soliciting prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution.
—Ava Berger, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
After Barkey went off for a third-period delay-of-the-game minor, Couturier won the initial defensive zone draw and cleared the puck.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for minor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for minor
Adjective
-
Even lesser-scale incidents like the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal and the Volkswagen emissions scandal erode trust in the institutions that help make our society possible and push it forward.—
Lindsey Witmer Collins,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Toronto’s Fred VanVleet appears to be the top target, but Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have been linked to the team at various points.—
Staff Writer
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
Its gibbous disk appears small and featureless.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
-
Trump has signed executive orders to reduce housing regulatory burdens and help smaller banks provide mortgages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Certainly, there’s anecdotal evidence where upward of 200 juveniles will gather at a mall.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
-
The court system has thus far treated Young as a juvenile.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Greens should make up 50% or slightly less of your pile.—
Jessica Damiano,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
And on Wednesday, the House sped through less than two hours of debate and questions before voting in favor of the plan along party lines.—
Romy Ellenbogen,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The high-flying version of the Avs has yet to arrive in this series, but the defensively-sound edition backed by strong goaltending continues to be enough against an inferior Kings club.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Their highest attendance of the games played at Stamford Bridge this season is 30,545, the only one to come close to the 30,000 mark, and inferior to their record attendance of 39,398 set two years ago at their Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Knicks are slight favorites to win Game 4, and a win would flip things back around.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
If your car is equipped with front radar or driver‑assist features, dirt on the sensor or slight misalignment from a parking‑lot bump could also be the culprit.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As an adolescent, he was diagnosed with dyslexia and struggled through school.—
Jen Murphy,
Robb Report,
26 Apr. 2026
-
He was brought to the center as an adolescent with a broken wing (possibly due to a collision with a car) and can no longer fly properly.—
Margherita Bassi,
Popular Science,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fremar then received an early copy of the book, which was even meaner than the version that was eventually published.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Hecht is a former walk-on who rose up the ranks in a K-State program known for churning out big, mean fellas.—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Minor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/minor. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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