major on something

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "major on something" is not standard in written English; the correct expression is "major in something." You can use it when referring to a field of study or specialization in an academic context.
Example: "She decided to major in psychology to better understand human behavior."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

That came about seven months after their epic five-set final at Wimbledon in 2008, Nadal's first major victory on something other than clay.

The New York Times - Sports

Put on something upbeat!

WikiHow

Put on something comfortable.

WikiHow

Hunter Skipworth, Pocket-lint (UK): "Facebook and its partners have announced the HTC First, making a major u-turn on something it said it would never do: launch a Facebook phone.

BBC

If they're too young to understand major events, focus in on something they can relate to: Help explain one topic that they can relate to e.g. the President visits school children to improve the nutrition in school lunches.

HuffPost

"The American people have a right to know," Glenn replied: GREENWALD: Every single time any major media outlet reports on something that the government is hiding, that political officials don't want people to know, such as the fact that they are collecting the phone records of all Americans, regardless of any suspicion of wrongdoing, the people in power do exactly the same thing.

The Guardian

The actress and comedian, who wore royal blue with a gardenia in her hair emulating Hattie McDaniel from some 70 years ago, was hitting on something major: the 82nd Annual Academy Awards was a night history was made in numerous ways, and performance truly did outshine politics.

Huffington Post

"Every single time any major media outlet reports on something that the government is hiding, that political officials don't want people to know, such as the fact that they are collecting the phone records of all Americans, regardless of any suspicion of wrongdoing, the people in power do exactly the same thing," Greenwald said.

Huffington Post

ROGER FEDERER, Justine Henin and the Williams sisters have all been upset at the French Open, but one major player seems to be on something of a winning streak — the Tennis Channel.

The New York Times

Even if it's someone you've worked with before, simulating the start-up environment where you'll both have something major on the line can open your eyes to a lot about a person.

Forbes

College students today should not solely focus on simply majoring in something but picking up a minor (or a usable skill learned outside of school).

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "major in something" when referring to a field of study. For example, say 'I plan to major in biology' instead of 'I plan to major on biology'.

Common error

Avoid using "on" after "major". The correct preposition is "in" when discussing an academic major. Using "on" is a common grammatical error that should be avoided.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "major on something" is intended to denote the act of specializing or focusing on a particular subject. However, it functions incorrectly due to improper preposition usage. Ludwig indicates the phrase is not grammatically correct, and the correct usage is "major in something".

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "major on something" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase is "major in something" when referring to academic specialization. Ludwig flags this phrase as non-standard. Therefore, it's best to use "major in something", "specialize in something", or "focus on something" depending on the context. Avoid using "on" after "major" to maintain grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

major in something

Replaces 'on' with the correct preposition 'in' for academic specialization.

specialize in something

Uses 'specialize' as a synonym for 'major', providing a grammatically correct alternative.

focus on something

Offers a broader alternative, suitable for both academic and non-academic contexts.

concentrate on something

Similar to 'focus on', emphasizing a deliberate effort to direct attention.

dedicate oneself to something

Implies a strong commitment and investment of time and energy.

pursue something as a major

Clarifies the intent to study a specific subject in depth at a higher education institution.

center attention on something

Highlights the act of bringing something into central focus.

emphasize something in one's studies

Focuses on highlighting the importance of a particular subject within a broader field of study.

put emphasis on something

Highlights the act of bringing something into central focus.

make something a primary focus

Indicates that something is given the highest priority.

FAQs

What is the correct preposition to use with "major" when referring to a field of study?

The correct preposition is "in". You should say "major in" followed by the field of study. For example, "I want to "major in computer science"" is correct.

What can I say instead of "major on something"?

You can use alternatives like "major in something", "specialize in something", or "focus on something" depending on the context.

Is "major on something" grammatically correct?

No, "major on something" is not grammatically correct. The correct usage is "major in something" when referring to a field of study.

How do I use "major in something" in a sentence?

Use "major in something" to indicate your primary field of study at a college or university. For example, "She decided to "major in English literature"".