miniature 1 of 2

Definition of miniaturenext

miniature

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noun

as in reproduction
an exact representation of something in greatly reduced size a diorama filled with miniatures of town buildings as they looked in the 19th century

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word miniature distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of miniature are diminutive, little, minute, small, and tiny. While all these words mean "noticeably below average in size," miniature applies to an exactly proportioned reproduction on a very small scale.

a dollhouse with miniature furnishings

When might diminutive be a better fit than miniature?

Although the words diminutive and miniature have much in common, diminutive implies abnormal smallness.

diminutive bonsai plants

When can little be used instead of miniature?

The synonyms little and miniature are sometimes interchangeable, but little is more absolute in implication often carrying the idea of petiteness, pettiness, insignificance, or immaturity.

your pathetic little smile

In what contexts can minute take the place of miniature?

The words minute and miniature can be used in similar contexts, but minute implies extreme smallness.

a minute amount of caffeine in the soda

How do small and little relate to one another, in the sense of miniature?

Both small and little are often interchangeable, but small applies more to relative size determined by capacity, value, number.

a relatively small backyard

How are the words tiny and minute related as synonyms of miniature?

Tiny is an informal equivalent to minute.

tiny cracks formed in the painting

How is the word miniature distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of miniature are diminutive, little, minute, small, and tiny. While all these words mean "noticeably below average in size," miniature applies to an exactly proportioned reproduction on a very small scale.

a dollhouse with miniature furnishings

When might diminutive be a better fit than miniature?

Although the words diminutive and miniature have much in common, diminutive implies abnormal smallness.

diminutive bonsai plants

When can little be used instead of miniature?

The synonyms little and miniature are sometimes interchangeable, but little is more absolute in implication often carrying the idea of petiteness, pettiness, insignificance, or immaturity.

your pathetic little smile

In what contexts can minute take the place of miniature?

The words minute and miniature can be used in similar contexts, but minute implies extreme smallness.

a minute amount of caffeine in the soda

How do small and little relate to one another, in the sense of miniature?

Both small and little are often interchangeable, but small applies more to relative size determined by capacity, value, number.

a relatively small backyard

How are the words tiny and minute related as synonyms of miniature?

Tiny is an informal equivalent to minute.

tiny cracks formed in the painting

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of miniature
Adjective
Beyond their miniature frames, they’re recognized for their wide eyes, slender legs and shy temperament. Ryan Brennan april 24, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 Like the rest of the spaces, the bedrooms act as miniature galleries for the Wirths’ collection—mine had snowflakes stenciled on the rough white walls and 19th-century mountain scenes; Gerhard Richter’s pencil drawings of Sils can be found in the family suite on the top floor. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
Even less familiar than Giacometti’s plaster heads or mounted miniatures are his designs for the Swiss National Exhibition of 1939, which forms the subject of the book’s third chapter. Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026 There are quite a few places for role-playing games across the five boroughs, but only at Twenty Sided in Williamsburg can D&D and Pathfinder enthusiasts learn to paint bespoke miniatures. The Editors, Curbed, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for miniature
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miniature
Adjective
  • What last Friday’s 5-0 win away to Sunderland might have done for Pereira is give him just a tiny bit more freedom; the opportunity to go slightly stronger with his team selections in these two games against Villa, either side of a still-vital trip to Chelsea on Monday.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The technique used to measure the singularities’ velocity could open the door to studying other tiny, fast phenomena in physics, chemistry and biology—or perhaps to find new ways to encode quantum information in materials, according to the researchers.
    Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Scientists have documented that increasingly brighter nights are altering animal behavior, reproduction cycles and survival.
    Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Men begetting men is the story, a kind of immaculate cultural reproduction.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Those figures, combined with much more existential climate crises like extreme weather, pollution and food insecurity, make eliminating a tour’s worth of plastic feel minuscule.
    Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
  • But in minuscule quantum systems, there is an element of outside control.
    Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • For an all-important sit-down dinner set inside Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper Museum, a team of Italian scenic painters—led by a woman who manages backdrops for an opera in Rome—built and painted a replica on a local soundstage that was about ¾ the size of the original.
    Mara Reinstein, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026
  • This 24-pack of Harry Potter Chocolate Frogs is a near-exact replica of the chocolate frog Ron ate with Harry on their first train ride to Hogwarts in The Sorcerer’s Stone.
    Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 1 May 2026
Adjective
  • This development could pave the way for super-precise thermometers and chemical detectors that work at a microscopic level.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Apr. 2026
  • They’re regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to ensure proper safeguards are in place to prevent microscopic cement particles from causing health problems in nearby residents.
    Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • That task had required demolition and repression, imitation and invention.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
  • If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, OpenAI’s actions are especially telling.
    Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Some models feature replaceable blades, like the Milk Street Kitchen Precision peeler, which retails for $30, but by peeler standards that’s high.
    Jennifer Zyman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026
  • For four of these systems, the observations were sensitive enough to allow the astronomers to measure the masses of the component stars from first principles, independent of any guidance from theoretical models.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Miniature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miniature. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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