Meanings
nounmajor third (plural major thirds)
plural major thirds
- entertainmentA musical interval in Western music that is equal to or approximates a frequency ratio of 5/4. In twelve-tone equal temperament, it consists of four standard semitones, spans three degrees of the diatonic scale, and is enharmonically equivalent to a diminished fourth. Major scales are so named because of the major third interval between the tonic and mediant of a major tonic triad.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 大三度
- 大三度 (dàsāndù)interval of four semitones
Dutch grote terts
- grote tertsinterval of four semitones
Finnish suuri terssi
- suuri terssiinterval of four semitones
French tierce majeure
- tierce majeureinterval of four semitones
German große Terz
- große Terzinterval of four semitones
Greek τρίτη μεγάλη
- τρίτη μεγάλη (tríti megáli)interval of four semitones
Hawaiian lele kolu
- lele koluinterval of four semitones
Hungarian nagyterc
- nagytercinterval of four semitones
Icelandic stór þríund
- stór þríundinterval of four semitones
Italian terza maggiore
- terza maggioreinterval of four semitones
Japanese 長三度
- 長三度 (chōsando)interval of four semitones
Polish tercja wielka
- tercja wielkainterval of four semitones
Russian больша́я те́рция
- больша́я те́рция (bolʹšája tɛ́rcija)interval of four semitones
Swedish stor ters, durters
- stor tersinterval of four semitones
- durtersinterval of four semitones
Cite this entry
APA
major third. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/major%20third
MLA
“major third.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/major%20third. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “major third,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/major%20third.
Source: major third on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.