1.
minor, niche, not well-known
Not widely known or popular; having a small following. The opposite of メジャー. In Japanese, マイナー emphasizes obscurity and lack of mainstream recognition rather than unimportance.
Usage
マイナー in Japanese focuses on being not well-known or outside the mainstream, rather than the English sense of "lesser in importance." It is not necessarily negative — some people take pride in liking マイナー things.
Common collocations
- マイナーな趣味: niche hobby
- マイナーリーグ: minor league
- マイナーチェンジ: minor change/facelift (often for car models)
- マイナーから脱却する: to break out of obscurity
Similar words
メジャー is the direct opposite, meaning mainstream or widely known. ニッチ (niche) is similar but emphasizes a specialized market segment.
Related Words
Antonym:
メジャー (major, mainstream)