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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
What To Know McDonald's posted an aerial image on Instagram of a Happy Meal box with seven miniature figures. Ben Kelly, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025 Good objects to display include miniature paintings, pottery, baskets, seashells, or a framed postcard. Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2025
Noun
The first is an early-19th century diamond bow brooch-pendant with a circular portrait miniature of the admiral. Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025 Emily Bode’s touching tribute to a noted relative, a famed composer, with songs and memories, and her entire collection presented in miniature on handmade figurines inside the grand Theatre National de l’Opera Comique, was simply magical. Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for miniature
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miniature
Adjective
  • These were tiny towns where restaurants serve breakfast with eggs supplied by on-property chickens and eagles are visible on mosquito-laden trails that railroad cars once trudged.
    Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
  • In the tall-grass prairies that once spread out across pre-settlement Indiana, tiny ground squirrels scurried through the wildflowers, grasses and shrubs.
    Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The ambitious and sprawling exhibition, in the works for years, uses medical objects, educational films, and contemporary art to consider how design has shaped reproduction—something that seems evident but has heretofore been rarely explored.
    Shauna Lyon, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
  • These films have always carried rich undercurrents: the corporate exploitation of blue-collar workers (the Nostromo crew, the marines in Aliens, the kids of Romulus), queered reproduction via body horror, Ripley’s evolving incarnations of motherhood, human hubris punished by its own creations.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Revisions are statistical refinements equaling a minuscule slice of the overall job market.
    Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Teasing out minuscule quantities of ruthenium-100 was a painstaking endeavor.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Citi Field commemorated the anniversary by hosting a pregame concert from 1964 The Tribute, playing Beatles music throughout the night, and distributing replica models of Shea Stadium to the first 15,000 fans in attendance.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Hours for the free evening festival will be 5 to 11 p.m. at downtown Festival Park, where a large replica of Mexico City’s Angel of Independence will be on display and family activities, like a piñata smash, will be held.
    Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Then there is the cost of retaliation and imitation, as other governments respond and follow the U.S. example by imposing tariffs and restrictions of their own.
    Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2025
  • Debbie woke up and peeled herself off an imitation leather interior.
    Sam Bloch August 8, Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Patients undergo a CAT scan to show bone placement, and then that scan is entered into a planning software that creates a 3D model of the shoulder.
    Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Choose between a model with a permanent filter made of metal or one that uses paper filters.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Miniature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miniature. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

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