majors
majors — adjective
1. larger, more important, or more serious than others of the same type — such as a
larger, more important, or more serious than others of the same type — such as a major change in company policy, a major difference between two plans, or a major problem with the software.
The company announced a major change in its retirement policy last Tuesday.
major + change (common collocation)
A major earthquake struck the coast of Chile, forcing thousands to evacuate.
major + natural disaster (common collocation)
There is a major difference between the two proposals that the committee must discuss.
The biggest road in town is closed for repairs, causing major delays for drivers.
- significant
slightly more formal, often used with results or findings
- important
broader; can apply to things that matter without being large
- substantial
emphasises size or amount; more formal
- minor
direct opposite; smaller, less important
文法句型
major + noun
be major
用法筆記
Often used with nouns describing problems, changes, or differences. The opposite is 'minor': a minor problem vs. a major problem.
常見錯誤
2. describing a musical key or chord that has a bright, cheerful sound — the opposi
describing a musical key or chord that has a bright, cheerful sound — the opposite of minor keys which sound sad or serious.
The piece is written in C major and has a very uplifting melody.
major key: C major (musical notation)
Her piano teacher asked her to practise the D major scale every morning.
The song shifts from a sad minor key to a bright major key in the chorus.
The orchestra tuned their instruments and began a beautiful piece in A major.
- bright
describes the quality of major-key music, not a technical term
- minor
the opposite key/chord type, associated with sadder sounds
文法句型
major + key/chord/scale
用法筆記
Used only with musical keys, chords, and scales. Do not use 'major' to describe a happy piece of music in general — use 'major key' or 'major chord'.
常見錯誤
majors — noun
1. an officer in an army, air force, or marines who ranks above a captain and below
an officer in an army, air force, or marines who ranks above a captain and below a lieutenant colonel.
Major Kwame Osei served in the Ghanaian army for fifteen years before retiring.
title: Major + full name (military rank)
The major ordered the soldiers to secure the perimeter before nightfall.
Captain Nia Okafor was promoted to major after leading a rescue mission in the mountains.
The battalion was under the command of a major with twenty years of service.
文法句型
the/a major
Major + last name
2. the main subject a university student chooses to study, or a student who studies
the main subject a university student chooses to study, or a student who studies that subject as their main focus.
Mei-Lin chose biology as her major because she wanted to work in medical research.
Linh is a history major who hopes to become a teacher after graduation.
be a + subject + major (noun construction for a student)
The university offers over forty majors, including data science and environmental studies.
Engineering majors often have to take extra maths courses during their first year.
- specialisation
more common in British English; refers to the area of focus
- field of study
broader; can include graduate-level focus
- minor
a secondary subject studied alongside the major
文法句型
a + subject + major
major in + subject
be a + subject + major
用法筆記
Used mainly in American English. In British English, the equivalent is 'course' or 'degree programme'. 'Major' can refer to both the subject and the person studying it.
常見錯誤
3. the highest level of professional competition in a sport, especially Major Leagu
the highest level of professional competition in a sport, especially Major League Baseball in the US, or one of the most important tournaments in golf (the four majors) or tennis (the Grand Slam events).
The young pitcher finally made it to the majors after three seasons in the minor leagues.
make it to the majors (sports career idiom)
Winning a golf major is the dream of every professional player on the tour.
The tennis player has won three Grand Slam titles but still calls Wimbledon her favourite major.
Leo's lifelong dream was to step onto a field in the majors and hear the crowd roar.
The scout told the young athlete that his fastball could take him all the way to the majors.
- top league
general term for the highest level in any sport
- big leagues
informal; often used for baseball or metaphorically for any top-level competition
- minors
the lower-level leagues in baseball; also used metaphorically
文法句型
the majors
major league
one of the majors
用法筆記
In baseball, the top professional league is commonly called 'the majors' or 'Major League Baseball' (MLB), and players move up from the minor leagues ('the minors'). In golf, 'the majors' refers to four specific tournaments (The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open, The Open Championship). In tennis, the equivalent is 'Grand Slam' events.
常見錯誤
majors — verb
1. to choose and study a particular subject as your main focus at a college or univ
to choose and study a particular subject as your main focus at a college or university — for example, majoring in economics, biology, or computer science.
After spending a summer studying coral reefs, Ananya decided to major in environmental science.
major in + field of study
Javier majored in philosophy but ended up working as a software developer.
You can major in business and still take art history classes on the side.
At many US colleges, students do not have to declare a major until their second year.
- specialise in
more common in British English; can apply to graduate-level study too
- focus on
less formal; can describe any area of concentration
文法句型
major in + subject/field
用法筆記
Always takes 'in' before the subject. This verb is intransitive and mainly used in American higher education contexts.