Phrase guide

minor key

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A musical key based upon a minor scale.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a key based on the minor scale

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: minor mode

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: key, tonality

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 小調 /小调 (xiǎodiào) — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • Finnish: molli — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • French: mode mineur — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • French: tonalité mineure — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • German: Molltonart — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • German: Moll — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • Hungarian: moll hangnem — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • Irish: mionghléas — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • Japanese: 短調 (tanchō) — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • Korean: 단조 (danjo) — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • Polish: tonacja molowa — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • Russian: мино́рная тона́льность (minórnaja tonálʹnostʹ) — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • Russian: мино́р (minór) — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • Swedish: molltonart — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • Swedish: moll — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale
  • Welsh: cywair lleddf — music: a musical key based upon a minor scale