Minor means small, unimportant, or not very serious. A minor problem might be a loose shoelace during a race, something that slows you down for a moment but doesn't stop you. When a doctor says you have a minor injury, you might need a bandage but you'll heal quickly. A minor disagreement with a friend is easily resolved, unlike a major fight that damages the friendship.

The word helps us understand proportion and priority. If you make a minor mistake on your homework, you might lose a point or two. If you make a major mistake, you might need to redo the entire assignment. When editing a story, minor changes might mean fixing a few spelling errors, while major changes mean rewriting whole paragraphs.

In music, minor describes a scale or key that often sounds sadder or more serious than a major key. Many melancholic songs are written in minor keys.

As a noun, the word also refers to someone who hasn't yet reached adulthood. In most places, anyone under 18 is legally a minor, meaning they can't vote, sign contracts, or make certain decisions without parental permission. The opposite of a minor in this sense is an adult.