small-scale
Americanadjective
-
of limited extent; of small scope.
a small-scale enterprise.
-
being a relatively small map, model, etc., of the original and, hence, showing relatively little detail.
adjective
-
of limited size or scope
-
(of a map, model, etc) giving a relatively small representation of something, usually missing out details
Etymology
Origin of small-scale
First recorded in 1850–55
Compare meaning
How does small-scale compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After Zion was raided and its physical church was shut in 2018, it increasingly took its ministry online while establishing small-scale branches around the country.
In recent years, they’ve performed demonstrations, released smaller-scale machines for customers to experiment on, and made promises about future timelines.
Elsewhere in Southern California, desert parks are seeing robust but smaller-scale blooms.
From Los Angeles Times
“It’s small-scale. And I might still not get into the Hempstead program. But at least I’m doing something.”
From Literature
Many companies still engage in smaller-scale testing of certain solutions before committing to full enterprise deployments.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
