miniature

[ min-ee-uh-cher, -choor, min-uh-cher ]

noun

1. a representation or image of something on a small or reduced scale.
2. a greatly reduced or abridged form or copy.
3. a very small painting, especially a portrait, on ivory, vellum, or the like.
4. the art of executing such a painting.
5. an illumination in an illuminated manuscript or book.

adjective

1. being, on, or represented on a small scale; reduced.

   Synonyms: minuscule, tiny, diminutive, microscopic, minute

miniature

/ ˈmɪnɪtʃə /

noun

1. a model, copy, or similar representation on a very small scale
2. anything that is very small of its kind
3. a very small painting, esp a portrait, showing fine detail on ivory or vellum
4. a very small bottle of whisky or other spirits, which can hold 50 millilitres
5. an illuminated letter or other decoration in a manuscript
6. in miniature
   on a small scale

   games are real life in miniature

adjective

1. greatly reduced in size
2. on a small scale; minute

Other Words From

• super·mini·a·ture adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of miniature¹

1580–90; < Italian miniatura miniature painting < Medieval Latin miniātūra, equivalent to miniāt ( us ) ( miniate ) + -ūra -ure; sense development perhaps influenced by Latin base min- ( mini-, minor )

Word History and Origins

Origin of miniature¹

C16: from Italian, from Medieval Latin miniātūra, from miniāre to paint red, (in illuminating manuscripts); from minium

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in miniature, in a reduced size; on a small scale:

   The zoo exhibition offered a jungle in miniature.

Example Sentences

“All those tiny miniatures that fit on the head of a needle — I think it’s so beautiful,” he says in a Zoom call from his place in Malibu.

From Los Angeles Times

In Roriak, children fashion a miniature village out of the clay on the ground, complete with model huts and cows.

From BBC

Instead of working on their long-overdue extension, Billy built a miniature croft house for the otter, equipped with a camera, wi-fi and a set of Mail family photos.

From BBC

It depicts a miniature Jack and Rose recreating the famous scene on top of an electric iron.

From BBC

Indian art at that time was largely dominated by realism, found in the murals of the Ajanta caves and in Mughal art or miniature paintings.

From BBC

Related Words

• mini
• pint-sized
• reduced
• scaled-down
• small
• small-scale
• tiny