minuscule

[ min-uh-skyool, mi-nuhs-kyool ]

adjective

1. very small.
2. (of letters or writing) small; not capital.
3. written in such letters ( majuscule ).

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 a small cursive script developed in the 7th century a.d. from the uncial, which it afterward superseded.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

/ 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

adjective

1. relating to, printed in, or written in small letters Compare majuscule
2. very small
3. (of letters) lower-case

Spelling Note

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.

Derived Forms

• minuscular, adjective

Other Words From

• mi·nuscu·lar adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of minuscule¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of minuscule¹

C18: from French, from Latin ( littera ) minuscula very small (letter), diminutive of minor

Example Sentences

They lived 25 to a room in unhygienic conditions, and were forced to work at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for minuscule pay.

From BBC

A merger between Truth Social's parent company, Trump Media, and Digital World Acquisition Corp took Trump's company public and left him with that multi-billion dollar stake despite the social media platform’s minuscule revenue.

From Salon

This repatriated collection represents a minuscule fraction of the 7,000 pieces the French pillaged from their former colony — and that number applies only to what they took from this one location among many.

From Los Angeles Times

The term may make the mistakes seem almost innocuous, but in some applications, even a minuscule error rate can have severe ramifications.

From Los Angeles Times

After all, even a minuscule amount of that drug can be lethal, Tarentino told ABC News in August.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• insignificant
• microscopic
• small
• tiny