Another Word for Major: 13 Synonyms with Examples
“Major” means important, serious or large. It is often stronger than “big” and more neutral than “huge”.
As an adjective: important or serious
- important
- significant
- serious
- key
- crucial
- considerable
- substantial
- leading
As an adjective: greater in size or number
- main
- larger
- greater
- bigger
- principal
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How they differ
Synonyms share a meaning, not always a tone. Here is when to pick each of the main options.
- significant
- Important enough to have an effect; formal.
- serious
- Major in a worrying way: a serious problem.
- considerable
- About amount or degree rather than importance.
- leading
- At the front of a field: a leading brand.
- principal
- Formal; the main or greatest of several.
Example sentences
- significant: The merger brought significant changes to the company.
- serious: The report found serious flaws in the design.
- considerable: The project needs considerable investment.
- leading: The firm is a leading supplier of solar panels.
- principal: Tourism is the principal source of income here.
Opposite of major
- minor
- small
- trivial
- insignificant
Frequently asked questions
What is another word for “major”?
The most useful alternatives are “important”, “significant”, “serious”, “key”, “crucial”. For the main sense (important or serious), “important” is usually the closest swap.
What is the difference between “significant” and “serious”?
significant: Important enough to have an effect; formal. serious: Major in a worrying way: a serious problem.
What is the opposite of “major”?
Common antonyms are “minor”, “small”, “trivial”, “insignificant”.