Definition of minor

The word "minor" has its roots in Latin. In Latin, the word "minor" means "younger" or "less" and is the comparative form of "minus," which means "less" or "weaker." In the 14th century, the Latin word "minor" was borrowed into Middle English as "minor," initially meaning "younger" or "lesser in importance." In law, the term "minor" referred to a person under a certain age, typically 21, who was not considered an adult with full legal rights. This sense of the word developed in the 15th century and was influenced by the concept of "minority" in law, which referred to the period of time between childhood and adulthood. Over time, the meaning of "minor" expanded to include other contexts, such as music (a minor key or chord), geology (a minor rock formation), and statistics (a minor scale of measurement). Today, the word "minor" is used in many different contexts to convey a sense of something being smaller, less important, or younger in relation to something else.