minor suit: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical / Specialized
Quick answer
What does “minor suit” mean?
In contract bridge, either of the two suits (diamonds and clubs) that are worth fewer points per trick than the major suits.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
In contract bridge, either of the two suits (diamonds and clubs) that are worth fewer points per trick than the major suits.
In card games, particularly bridge, a suit of lower scoring value. By extension, can metaphorically refer to a less important or secondary category in any system of classification.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The term is standard in the international lexicon of bridge.
Connotations
Neutral, technical term in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both, confined to card game contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “minor suit” in a Sentence
[verb] + minor suit (e.g., 'bid', 'lead', 'support')[adjective] + minor suit (e.g., 'long', 'strong', 'weak')minor suit + [noun] (e.g., 'slam', 'fit', 'bid')Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “minor suit” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- He made a clever minor-suit lead to disrupt declarer's plan.
- Their system includes several minor-suit conventions.
American English
- She found a good minor-suit fit early in the auction.
- We need to discuss our minor-suit responses.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Only in papers or discussions about game theory or bridge.
Everyday
Virtually never used outside of card games.
Technical
Core term in bridge strategy and bidding conventions.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “minor suit”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “minor suit”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “minor suit”
- Using it to refer to any unimportant item outside of bridge (highly atypical).
- Confusing 'minor suit' with a small lawsuit (legal context).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Almost never. Its meaning is highly specific to trick-taking card games like bridge. Any other use is a metaphorical extension and very rare.
In standard contract bridge, the minor suits are diamonds (♦) and clubs (♣).
They are called minor because tricks won in these suits are worth fewer points (20 per trick) compared to major suits (30 per trick).
No, 'minor suit' is exclusively a noun phrase. You cannot 'minor suit' something.
In contract bridge, either of the two suits (diamonds and clubs) that are worth fewer points per trick than the major suits.
Minor suit is usually technical / specialized in register.
Minor suit: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmaɪ.nə ˌsuːt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmaɪ.nɚ ˌsuːt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'MINOR' as in 'less important' – in bridge, diamonds and clubs are the minor suits because they score fewer points.
Conceptual Metaphor
HIERARCHY IS VALUE (Minor suits are lower in the hierarchy of scoring value.)
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'minor suit' in contract bridge?