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Prevailing vs Major - What's the difference?

prevailing | major |

As adjectives the difference between prevailing and major

is that prevailing is predominant; of greatest force while major is .

As a verb prevailing

is .

prevailing

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Predominant; of greatest force.
    • The prevailing opinion was for additional planning time.
  • * '', reprinted in 1797, John Bell, ''Bell's British Theatre , Volume 33, page 37 (within play),
    • He has a humour more prevailing than his curiosity, and will willingly dispense with the hearing of one scandalous story, to avoid giving an occasion to make another, by being seen to walk with his wife.
  • * 1807 , , The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner , page 187,
    • and as merciful coun?els are mo?t prevailing when earne?tly pre??ed, ?o I got them to be of the ?ame opinion as to clemency.
  • * 1826 , , House of Commons Papers , Volume 17, page 411,
    • I have heard generally that alderman Archer has a more prevailing and powerful influence in the commons than any other alderman, and exercises that influence ;
  • Prevalent, common, widespread.
  • * 1829 , James Annesley, Sketches of the Most Prevalent Diseases of India , page 247,
    • Fever'' and ''dysentery are the most prevailing diseases in this division, more particularly the latter, which is one of the most destructive amongst the troops in India, and particularly so in the European constitution.
  • * 1832 , David Brewster, Spain'', entry in ''The Edinburgh Encyclopaedia , Volume 17, page 371,
    • One of the most prevailing defects in this people is their invincible indolence, and hatred of labour, which has, at all times, paralysed the government of their best princes, and impeded the success of their most brilliant enterprises.
  • * 1940 , Australian Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, Official Year Book of the Commonwealth of Australia No. 33 - 1940 , page 49,
    • In Sydney at 9 am, by far the most prevailing wind is a westerly, particularly during the colder two-thirds of the year.

    Verb

    (head)

    • major

    English

    Alternative forms

    * majour (obsolete)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl)

    Alternative forms

    * (abbreviation)

    Noun

    (wikipedia major)
  • (en noun), or, when used as a title before a person's name , Major
  • a military rank between captain and lieutenant colonel
    • He used to be a major in the army.
    This is Major Jones.
    Usage notes
    When used as a title, it is always capitalized. : Example: Major Jane Payne. The rank corresponds to pay grade O-4. Abbreviations: Maj. and MAJ.
    Related terms
    * majority * sergeant-major

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) , from Proto-Indo-European *ma?-yes-'' "greater", comparative of ''*ma?-, *me?- , "great".

    Adjective

  • Of great significance or importance.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-21, author= Karen McVeigh
    • , volume=189, issue=2, page=10, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= US rules human genes can't be patented , passage=The US supreme court has ruled unanimously that natural human genes cannot be patented, a decision that scientists and civil rights campaigners said removed a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation.}}
  • Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
    • the major part of the assembly
  • Of full legal age; having attained majority.
  • (music) Of a scale which follows the pattern: tone - tone - semitone - tone - tone - tone - semitone
    • a major scale.
  • (music) Being the larger of two intervals denoted by the same ordinal number.
  • (music) Containing the note which is a major third (four half steps) above the tonic.
    • Derived terms
    * majorly
    Antonyms
    * minor

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (US, Canada, Australia, and, New Zealand) The main area of study of a student working toward a degree at a college or university.
    • Midway through his second year of college, he still hadn't chosen a major .
  • (US, Canada, Australia, and, New Zealand) A student at a college or university concentrating on a given area of study.
    • She is a math major .
  • A person of legal age.
  • (logic) The major premise.
  • (Canadian football) An alternate term for touchdown; short for "major score".
  • A large, commercially successful record label, as opposed to an indie.
  • * 2005 , Billboard (volume 117, number 3, 15 January 2005, page 36)
    • He says Ninja Tune retains the master and publishing rights on most of its catalog, making it easy to license quickly. Yet as majors jump on the videogame bandwagon, he fears indies may lose that outlet.
    Antonyms
    * (a person of legal age) minor

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • to concentrate on a particular area of study as a student in a college or university
    • I have decided to major in mathematics.

    Anagrams

    * ----