minicomputer

noun

mini·​com·​put·​er ˌmi-nē-kəm-ˈpyü-tər 

: a small computer that is intermediate between a microcomputer and a mainframe in size, speed, and capacity, that can support time-sharing, and that is often dedicated to a single application

Examples of minicomputer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The model’s triumph arrived with Digital Equipment Corporation, whose minicomputers revolutionized computing and delivered a 500-fold return for ARD investors after its 1966 IPO. —David H. Hsu, Fortune, 11 May 2026

That was simply a matter of getting the open-source Stockfish chess engine to run on a Raspberry Pi minicomputer. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Feb. 2026

The Heart of the System A NAS is a minicomputer with its own CPU, RAM and software. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 11 Jan. 2026

The exhibition gave thousands of visitors an opportunity to see, and in some cases use, minicomputers, teletype equipment, high-speed copy machines, and closed-circuit television. —IEEE Spectrum, 12 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for minicomputer

• microcomputer
• supercomputer
• commuter
• computer
• polluter
• recruiter
• neuter
• pewter
• router
• scooter
• shooter
• suitor

Kids Definition

minicomputer

noun

mini·​com·​put·​er ˌmin-i-kəm-ˈpyüt-ər 

: a small computer that is between a mainframe and a personal computer in size and speed