miniature 1 of 2

Definition of miniaturenext
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
The team designed miniature boats with three cavities tuned to different audible frequencies, enabling them to steer the boat in a particular direction by changing the frequency of the sound waves from a speaker. ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026 The miniature bag charms are inspired by the brand’s canvas totes with the MoMA logo. Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
Each discharge, heard faintly at the surface, is like a miniature, subterranean lightning strike. IEEE Spectrum, 11 Aug. 2026 As the second word in its name implies, the Falcon Mini is a miniature (and thus less costly) version of a larger drone, Zero Zero's Vcopter Falcon. New Atlas, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for miniature
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miniature
Adjective
  • Our study takes only a tiny step – but still a step – in that direction, helping to nail down the mechanism of exotic superconductivity in graphene.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The grand scale of cosmic time reminds her (and us) that social mores and strictures are tiny, meaningless things, that what matters is passion and freedom.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The exhibition is mostly screens, projections and reproductions, with a handful of great works from the 16th and 17th centuries and feels superficial at times.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • These reproductions are surprisingly effective, partly because the tapestry was made by many hands to begin with, and free embroidery is not an art of finesse.
    John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The difference between either posture is likely to be minuscule, with Chairman Kevin Warsh left to take a side and persuade his fellow officials.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026
  • While average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose a healthy 10 cents in August – after a minuscule rise in July – workers on balance are still seeing prices rise faster than their annual pay.
    Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Just then, the strains of a familiar song wafted across the store, and Valencia and Zegarra followed it, past a Lightning McQueen replica, to a tiny area where a half-dozen child-size chairs were arranged before a screen.
    Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Accompanied by some technology — radars, satellite phones and whatnot — and a volleyball replica of Wilson from Castaway, Tez spent weeks in the Pacific with pods of dolphins, friendly seagulls and his own thoughts.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The next step will connect microscopic damage with the properties that matter most for fusion magnets.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • This is when impacts of objects ranging in size from microscopic micrometeorites to large asteroids, turns over the regolith, mixing it all up including the radioactive supernova debris.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The best form of flattery is imitation, and Robert Pattinson does an incredible impression of Chris Hansen for A24’s new movie, Primetime.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Il Bisonte For high-quality Florentine leather, skip the stalls around San Lorenzo Market that sell cheap imitations from China and head to this store instead.
    Laura Itzkowitz, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • This allows XPeng to run its physical AI foundation model directly on the robot rather than relying on remote computing or teleoperation for complex tasks.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Open models are becoming fascinating; their performance is absolutely reaching frontier levels.
    Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Miniature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miniature. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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