adjective / noun / verb
major
Of primary or comparatively great importance.
Clean drinking water is a major concern for this community.
Etymology
Latin maior means greater. The adjective applies that comparison to importance, identifying what has the larger or principal role.
More examples
- The storm causes major damage along the coast.
- Biology is her major, but she also takes art classes.
- He majors in history and plans to become a teacher.
Forms
major · majors · majored · majoring
Similar words
- important
- Describes something that matters, without necessarily ranking it highly.
- significant
- Emphasizes a noticeable effect or consequence rather than relative rank.
- primary
- Means first in importance, rather than simply very important.