# minor

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈmaɪ.nəɹ/ · frequency rank #2,397

## Definitions
1. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option, particularly
2. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
3. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
4. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
5. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
6. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
7. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
8. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
9. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
10. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
11. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
12. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
13. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option
14. Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option

## Etymology
From Middle English minor, menor, menour, etc., from Latin minor (“lesser; young; young person”) both directly and via Norman and Middle French menor, menour, etc. Doublet of minus but not mini-. Cognate with minister, minify, Minorca, Menshevik, and possibly minnow. Compare Latin minimum and minuō, Old High German minniro, Cornish minow.

## Easily confused with
- **mir** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-mir)
- **MOR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-mor)
- **mint** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-mint)
- **moor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-moor)
- **miro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-miro)
- **motor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-motor)
- **minus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-minus)
- **Mixer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-mixer)
- **Minsk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-minsk)
- **mints** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-mints)
- **minty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-minty)
- **Minot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-minot)
- **miser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-miser)
- **mirror** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/minor-vs-mirror)
- **min** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/min-vs-minor)
- **mind** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mind-vs-minor)
- **mine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mine-vs-minor)
- **mini** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mini-vs-minor)
- **milo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/milo-vs-minor)
- **ming** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ming-vs-minor)

## Common misspellings (7)
`imnor`, `minnor`, `minorr`, `minro`, `mionr`, `mminor`, `mnior`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/minor