miniature

American  

[min-ee-uh-cher, -choor, min-uh-cher] / ˈmɪn i ə tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər, ˈmɪn ə tʃər /

noun

• miniatures
  plural

1. a representation or image of something on a small or reduced scale.

2. a greatly reduced or abridged form or copy.

3. a very small painting, especially a portrait, on ivory, vellum, or the like.

4. the art of executing such a painting.

5. an illumination in an illuminated manuscript or book.

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adjective

1. being, on, or represented on a small scale; reduced.

   Synonyms:

   minuscule, tiny, diminutive, microscopic, minute

idioms

1. in miniature, in a reduced size; on a small scale.

   The zoo exhibition offered a jungle in miniature.

miniature British  

/ ˈmɪnɪtʃə /

noun

1. a model, copy, or similar representation on a very small scale

2. anything that is very small of its kind

3. a very small painting, esp a portrait, showing fine detail on ivory or vellum

4. a very small bottle of whisky or other spirits, which can hold 50 millilitres

5. an illuminated letter or other decoration in a manuscript

6. on a small scale

   games are real life in miniature

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adjective

1. greatly reduced in size

2. on a small scale; minute

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superminiature
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• miniatures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of miniature

1580–90; < Italian miniatura miniature painting < Medieval Latin miniātūra, equivalent to miniāt ( us ) ( see miniate) + -ūra -ure; sense development perhaps influenced by Latin base min- ( see mini-, minor)

Explanation

Things that are miniature are teeny tiny versions of something else. Think miniature poodle. Unless you don't like small dogs. Then think miniature footballs. Aww, cute. When something is a miniature, it is like it has been shrunk down in size. It's not just small, it's a small replica of something else. If you made a dollhouse that was a scale representation of your own house, it would be a miniature of your home. It would also be a little weird.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

miniature miniatures

So does a third Jacobean miniature ascribed to an “ancient original,” now lost.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

This pinhole projector will show you the shadow being cast on the Sun replicated in miniature.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

According to the researchers, physiology by itself cannot account for this rapid move toward miniature bodies either.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

Another treasure in the collection for Val is a miniature school for little bears - she said she still remembers all the names she gave to the little pupils.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

It was far-fetched, but looking at that miniature version of my home town, I’d have believed anything.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

Voicemails From Gran’pa,” Caballero has used miniatures to immortalize his loved ones.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

In the once-bare space above the bedroom’s mantel, which holds a Louis XVI-style clock, gold-framed pictures and miniatures of family members and friends hang.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026

Thanks to a melange of practical effects, matte paintings, miniatures, models and costly, groundbreaking special effects, Donner achieved a superhero movie that looks unlike anything made in the decades since.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2025

"They've always been pushing the boundaries, going into miniatures, paints as well as books, magazines and even digitising their games."

From BBC ● Jan. 18, 2025

The miniatures on the walls revealed their subject matter under closer observation.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• mini
• pint-sized
• reduced
• scaled-down
• small
• small-scale
• tiny