Meaning & use
miniscule
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Extremely small; tiny in size, amount, or importance.
Grammar: Gradable: something can be more miniscule, though the word already suggests a very small size.
Patterns
- a miniscule amount of something
- miniscule compared to something
- miniscule details
The chance of winning the lottery is miniscule, but people still buy tickets.
She found a miniscule crack in the phone screen that was almost invisible.
The difference between the two models is miniscule and most users would never notice it.
Word forms
| comparative | more miniscule |
|---|---|
| superlative | most miniscule |
Common combinations
- miniscule amount
- Only a miniscule amount of water leaked from the pipe.
- miniscule chance
- There is a miniscule chance of rain tomorrow.
- miniscule detail
- The artist painted every miniscule detail of the leaf.
- miniscule compared to
- Our budget is miniscule compared to what large companies spend.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tiny
- Tiny is the everyday word for very small; miniscule is more formal or emphatic and often used for amounts or differences.
- minuscule
- Minuscule is the standard spelling and is preferred in formal writing; miniscule is a common variant.
- microscopic
- Microscopic means too small to see without a microscope; miniscule just means very small, not necessarily invisible.
Opposites
Word family
- minuscule adjective
- The standard spelling of the same word, meaning extremely small.
Commonly confused: miniscule or minuscule?
miniscule vs minuscule
Minuscule is the original and preferred spelling; miniscule is a common variant that some people consider an error. Both mean very small.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'miniscule' correctly.
Choose one answer.
'Miniscule' is an adjective meaning very small, so it fits 'amount of sugar'. The other options use it as a noun, verb, or in a contradictory way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “miniscule”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.