minuscule

American  

[min-uh-skyool, mi-nuhs-kyool] / ˈmɪn əˌskyul, mɪˈnʌs kyul /

adjective

1. very small.

2. (of letters or writing) small; not capital.

3. written in such letters (majuscule ).

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noun

1. a minuscule letter.

2. a small cursive script developed in the 7th century a.d. from the uncial, which it afterward superseded.

minuscule British  

/ mɪˈnʌskjʊlə, ˈmɪnəˌskjuːl /

noun

1. a lower-case letter

2. writing using such letters

3. a small cursive 7th-century style of lettering derived from the uncial

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adjective

1. relating to, printed in, or written in small letters Compare majuscule

2. very small

3. (of letters) lower-case

Spelling

Minuscule, from Latin minus meaning “less,” has frequently come to be spelled miniscule, perhaps under the influence of the prefix mini- in the sense “of a small size.” Although this newer spelling is criticized by many, it occurs with such frequency in edited writing that some consider it a variant spelling rather than a misspelling.

Other Word Forms

• minuscular adjective

Etymology

Origin of minuscule

First recorded in 1695–1705; from Latin minusculus “smallish, pretty small, minor”; minus, -cule ¹

Explanation

When something is teeny tiny, it is minuscule. If your mother calls your miniskirt minuscule, it probably means she wants you to change into something a bit less revealing. In minuscule, you see the word, minus, which means lesser. The word minuscule has its roots in the Latin expression minuscula littera, a phrase used to describe the smaller letters in text. In the late 1800s, the use of the word expanded to mean very small in general — so the definition of minuscule became less minuscule.

Example Sentences

It proves you can create something wonderful in a minuscule amount of time and almost no effort.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

The costs of preparing these filings are minuscule compared with the size of the U.S. capital markets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

There are dozens of minerals that the U.S. consumes in minuscule amounts.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

By carefully adjusting reservoir temperatures and tracking minuscule heat flows, the quantum refrigerator can operate in multiple ways.

From Science Daily • Jan. 29, 2026

On the morning of January 27, 1945, Soviet troops entered the camps and liberated the remaining seven thousand prisoners—a minuscule remnant of the number killed and buried in the camp.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• insignificant
• microscopic
• small
• tiny