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Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th
major
major AW [major majors majored majoring] adjective, noun, verb BrE [ˈmeɪdʒə(r)] NAmE [ˈmeɪdʒər]
adjective
1. usually before noun very large or important
•a major road
•major international companies
•to play a major role in sth
• We have encountered major problems.
• There were calls for major changes to the welfare system.
Opp: ↑minor
see also ↑minor-league
2. not before noun (NAmE)serious
•Never mind— it's not major.
3. (music)based on a ↑scale (= a series of eight notes) in which the third note is two whole ↑tones higher than the first note
•the key of D major
compare ↑minor
4. (NAmE)related to sb's main subject of study in college
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Latin, comparative of magnus ‘great’; perhaps influenced by French majeur.
Thesaurus:
major adj. usually before noun
•He played a major role in the handover.
main • • key • • chief • • leading • • central • • principal • • prime • • primary • • predominant • |informal number one •
Opp: minor
a/the major/main/key/chief/central/principal/prime/primary/predominant/number one concern
a/the major/main/key/leading/central/principal role
a/the major/main/key/chief/central/principal/prime/primary aim/focus/function/objective/task/reason
major/main/principal road/town/city
Synonyms:
main
major • key • central • principal • chief • prime
These words all describe sb/sth that is the largest or most important of its kind.
main • [only before noun] largest or most important: ▪ Be careful crossing the main road. ◇ ▪ The main thing is to remain calm.
major • [usually before noun] very large or important: ▪ He played a major role in setting up the system.
Major is most often used after a with a singular noun, or no article with a plural noun. When it is used with the or my/your/his/her/our/their it means ‘the largest or most important’: ▪ Our major concern here is combatting poverty. In this meaning it is only used to talk about ideas or worries that people have, not physical things, and it is also more formal than main: Be careful crossing the major road. ◇ The major thing is to remain calm.
key • [usually before noun] most important; essential: ▪ He was a key figure in the campaign.
Key is used most frequently in business and political contexts. It can be used to talk about ideas, or the part that sb plays in a situation, but not physical things. It is slightly more informal than major, especially when used after a noun and linking verb: ▪ Speed is key at this point.
central • (rather formal) most important: ▪ The central issue is that of widespread racism.
Central is used in a similar way to key, but is more formal. It is most frequently used in the phrase sth is central to sth else.
principal • [only before noun] (rather formal) most important: ▪ The principal reason for this omission is lack of time.
Principal is mostly used for statements of fact about which there can be no argument. To state an opinion, or to try to persuade sb of the facts as you see them, it is more usual to use key or central: ▪ The key/central issue here is…
chief • [only before noun] (rather formal) most important: ▪ Unemployment was the chief cause of poverty.
prime • [only before noun] (rather formal) most important; to be considered first: ▪ My prime concern is to protect my property.
a/the main/major/key/central/principal/chief/prime aim/concern
a/the main/major/principal road/town/city
the main/key thing is to…
to be of major/key/central/prime importance
Example Bank:
•He played a major role in setting up the system.
•Our major concern here is combatting poverty.
•Some major international companies refused to do business with them.
Derived: ↑major in something ▪ ↑major on something
noun
1. countable (abbr.Maj.)an officer of fairly high rank in the army or the US ↑air force
•Major Smith
•He's a major in the US army.
see also ↑drum major, ↑sergeant major
2. countable (NAmE)the main subject or course of a student at college or university
•Her major is French.
compare ↑minor
3. countable (NAmE)a student studying a particular subject as the main part of their course
•She's a French major.
4. the majorsplural (sport) (NAmE)the ↑major leagues
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Latin, comparative of magnus ‘great’; perhaps influenced by French majeur.
verb
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Latin, comparative of magnus ‘great’; perhaps influenced by French majeur.
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