Word of the Day

adjective

As the director of a tiny nonprofit organization, Julie is adept at managing expenses while working within the restraints of a minuscule budget.

"Minuscule" derives from the Latin adjective "minusculus," which means "rather small." The "minuscule" spelling is consistent with the word's etymology, but since the 19th century, people have also been spelling it "miniscule," perhaps because they associate it with the combining form "mini-" and words such as "minimal" and "minimum." Usage commentators generally consider the "miniscule" spelling an error, but it is widely used in reputable and carefully edited publications and is accepted as a legitimate variant in some dictionaries. ]>

Visit our archives to see previous selections »

A mug with meaning:

The Definition of "Grumpy"

Browse all items »

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP