Jump to:

• mini
  mini

  noun

  miniskirt.
• mini-
  mini-

  a combining form with the meanings “of a small or reduced size in comparison with others of its kind” (minicalculator; minicar; minigun ); “limited in scope, intensity, or duration” (miniboom; minicourse; minirecession ); (of clothing) “short, not reaching the knee” (minidress; miniskirt ).

mini

¹ American  

[min-ee] / ˈmɪn i /

noun

1. miniskirt.

2. a minicomputer.

3. anything of a small, reduced, or miniature size.

---

adjective

1. of the length of a miniskirt.

mini- ² American  

1. a combining form with the meanings “of a small or reduced size in comparison with others of its kind” (minicalculator; minicar; minigun ); “limited in scope, intensity, or duration” (miniboom; minicourse; minirecession ); (of clothing) “short, not reaching the knee” (minidress; miniskirt ).

---

mini ¹ British  

/ ˈmɪnɪ /

adjective

1. (of a woman's dress, skirt, etc) very short; thigh-length

2. (prenominal) small; miniature

---

noun

1. something very small of its kind, esp a small car or a miniskirt

mini- ² British  

combining form

1. smaller or shorter than the standard size

   minibus

   miniskirt

---

Usage

What does mini- mean? Mini- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “small,” "limited," or "short." It is often used in a variety of everyday and technical terms, especially in fashion. Mini- comes from a shortening of the terms miniature, minimal, or minimum, all expressing small size or a low limit. Minimum comes from Latin minimus, meaning "smallest" or "least." Related to this root is Latin minor, meaning “smaller,” which was borrowed into English as minor, meaning “lesser in size.” Find out more at our entry for each word.

Etymology

Origin of mini¹

Independent use of mini-, or by shortening of words with mini- as initial element

Origin of mini-²

By shortening of miniature, minimal, or minimum

Example Sentences

Tents - particularly polyester tents - act like mini greenhouses trapping heat inside them, from your body and the sun.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Dozens of children also lined up along the red carpet and waved mini flags and bouquets.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

Unsurprisingly, this deeply appealed to me, a woman who has apparently spent the week finding increasingly elaborate excuses to use her mini blender.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

One of the pieces in the exhibition is an A-line shag mini dress in cheetah print that Saar made for herself in 1969, and has been passed through the hands of her daughters and granddaughters.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Over the past few months Kelton’s family has assembled an over-the-top surveillance system, set up a mini greenhouse in their side yard, and lined their entire roof with some kind of unregistered, off-grid solar panels.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Related Words

• cramped
• limited
• meager
• microscopic
• miniature
• minuscule
• modest
• narrow
• paltry
• poor
• short
• slight
• small-scale
• young