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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

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
Inside the spathe is a 2-inch-long spadix upon which miniature button-like yellow flowers reside. Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025 When filming on a real-size bullet train carriage was not possible for a scene, Shinji used miniature models. Kayti Burt, Time, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
Its floral pattern recreates, in miniature, the print on the Fromental wallpaper seen in the stair hall behind. Andrew Sessa, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2025 That’s an eight-example unicorn in reality, though now reborn in miniature, and in greater numbers. Nik Miles, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for miniature
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miniature
Adjective
  • Buffett has owned tiny stakes in sports franchises during his career.
    Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 4 May 2025
  • Dunedin One of our South's Best Beach Towns in 2022, this tiny town located across the bay from Tampa surprises with plenty to see and do--plus eat and drink!
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 May 2025
Noun
  • For a group of animals already at risk due to slow reproduction, additional reproductive stress caused by pollution could make recovery even harder.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
  • Options among the four available range from an exact reproduction (this creates difficult-to-manage text boxes in Word) to unformatted text.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • As champagne’s popularity had been growing, a minuscule menace was spreading through the vineyards of France.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 28 Apr. 2025
  • The Heat’s margin of error is already minuscule in this series against the talented Cavaliers.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Companies are creating digital replicas of warehouses to monitor operations in real time.
    Umesh Kumar Sharma, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Steel eagle heads and sculptural pineapples can be spotted on different levels, as well as replicas of Chrysler’s 1929 radiator hub caps — a tribute to innovation as well as a direct reference to the building’s original owner.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Golden Age of great chefs in America was born out of imitation, adaption and innovation by young cooks buoyed by receptive media to get a national, even global, audience.
    John Mariani, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Protecting the human spark While AI models that simulate creativity in writing, coding, images, audio, or video can achieve remarkable imitations of human works, this sophisticated mimicry currently lacks the full depth of the human experience.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Across the board, all models support low-latency gaming modes (ranging from 105ms to 120ms with Nothing OS), IP55 dust and water resistance (except Buds 2a with IP54), and fast charging.
    Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Police analysts can then comb through this data and attempt to identify a culprit, often using surveillance footage or witness testimony about a vehicle’s color, make, or model.
    Dell Cameron, Wired News, 28 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Miniature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miniature. Accessed 11 May. 2025.

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