1
: a servile dependent, follower, or underling
He's one of the boss's minions.
2
: one highly favored : idol
his great charity to the poor renders him the minion of the people—
Jonas Hanway
Jonas Hanway3
: a subordinate (see subordinate entry 1 sense 1) or petty official
government minions
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The Origins of Minion
Minion comes from Middle French and is related to filet mignon. The two terms are connected by mignon, meaning "darling." The earliest uses of minion refer to someone who is a particular favorite of a sovereign or other important personage. Over time, however, the word developed a more derogatory sense referring to a person who is servile and unimportant.
Examples of minion in a Sentence
one of the boss's minions
most of the top appointments went to the new governor's personal minions and political cronies
Recent Examples on the Web
At just 17 years old, Amanda Seyfried booked her breakout role in Mean Girls as Regina George’s bimbo minion who could predict the weather with her boobs.
—airmail.news, 15 Mar. 2025
Could there be any truth to the fan theory that Greg was hiding on the boat when Tanya killed Quentin and his minions, then fatally conked herself in the head while escaping?
—Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Feb. 2025
Elon Musk your doge minions just fired me and my colleagues at CMMI.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 16 Feb. 2025
In the closing moments of the penultimate episode, Silver is plotting with his minions aboard his yacht.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for minion
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airmail.news, 15 Mar. 2025
Could there be any truth to the fan theory that Greg was hiding on the boat when Tanya killed Quentin and his minions, then fatally conked herself in the head while escaping?
—Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Feb. 2025
Elon Musk your doge minions just fired me and my colleagues at CMMI.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 16 Feb. 2025
In the closing moments of the penultimate episode, Silver is plotting with his minions aboard his yacht.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for minion
Cite this Entry
“Minion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minion. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
minion
noun
min·ion
ˈmin-yən 
1
: a person who obediently serves or works for a usually powerful person or organization
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