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
Noun (1)
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
Taylor Swinton,
Washington Post,
3 July 2026
Zoey Deutch wears minion yellow to the Los Angeles premiere of Minions & Monsters on June 28.
—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
1 July 2026
Because the minions don't speak English—and the film provides no subtitles—the film is light on dialogue.
—
Parents,
1 July 2026
And minions have taken over Wendy’s frosty machines with a new banana flavor.
—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for minion
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Noun
The minions have appeared in six films since — three Despicable Me movies and, making the jump from sidekicks to stars, three Minions movies.
—
Taylor Swinton,
Washington Post,
3 July 2026
Zoey Deutch wears minion yellow to the Los Angeles premiere of Minions & Monsters on June 28.
—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
1 July 2026
Because the minions don't speak English—and the film provides no subtitles—the film is light on dialogue.
—
Parents,
1 July 2026
And minions have taken over Wendy’s frosty machines with a new banana flavor.
—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for minion
Cite this Entry
“Minion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minion. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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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