Jump To:

• mini
  mini

  noun

  miniskirt.
• mini-
  mini-

  a combining form with the meanings “of a small or reduced size in comparison with others of its kind” (minicalculator; minicar; minigun ); “limited in scope, intensity, or duration” (miniboom; minicourse; minirecession ); (of clothing) “short, not reaching the knee” (minidress; miniskirt ).

mini

¹ American  

[min-ee] / ˈmɪn i /

noun

1. miniskirt.

2. a minicomputer.

3. anything of a small, reduced, or miniature size.

---

adjective

1. of the length of a miniskirt.

mini- ² American  

1. a combining form with the meanings “of a small or reduced size in comparison with others of its kind” (minicalculator; minicar; minigun ); “limited in scope, intensity, or duration” (miniboom; minicourse; minirecession ); (of clothing) “short, not reaching the knee” (minidress; miniskirt ).

---

mini ¹ British  

/ ˈmɪnɪ /

adjective

1. (of a woman's dress, skirt, etc) very short; thigh-length

2. (prenominal) small; miniature

---

noun

1. something very small of its kind, esp a small car or a miniskirt

mini- ² British  

combining form

1. smaller or shorter than the standard size

   minibus

   miniskirt

---

Usage

What does mini- mean? Mini- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “small,” "limited," or "short." It is often used in a variety of everyday and technical terms, especially in fashion. Mini- comes from a shortening of the terms miniature, minimal, or minimum, all expressing small size or a low limit. Minimum comes from Latin minimus, meaning "smallest" or "least." Related to this root is Latin minor, meaning “smaller,” which was borrowed into English as minor, meaning “lesser in size.” Find out more at our entry for each word.

Etymology

Origin of mini¹

Independent use of mini-, or by shortening of words with mini- as initial element

Origin of mini-²

By shortening of miniature, minimal, or minimum

Example Sentences

"The fact is, we will be continuing to use our mini supercomputers that we carry around with us," she said.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

"The big large monolithic model, it's $15 per million tokens, but you can get that down to like five cents if you use the smaller mini model," says Adrian Balfour of consultancy Enverso.

From Barron's • May 31, 2026

Depending on the direction you’re headed, you could also add cardamom, cinnamon, citrus zest or even mini chocolate chips.

From Salon • May 25, 2026

But three months after proposing to his girlfriend, he discovered that not only did he want one, he needed mini Yorkshire puddings with prime rib and horseradish cream at the event.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

The mini hologram becomes a Manifestor woman in front of a mansion.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

• cramped
• limited
• meager
• microscopic
• miniature
• minuscule
• modest
• narrow
• paltry
• poor
• short
• slight
• small-scale
• young