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

Rushmore scene was filmed on a miniature version of the monument.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

He often talks about one of the earliest-known toys, miniature chariots in Egyptian tombs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Across the surrounding countryside, seepages resemble miniature volcanoes overflowing with crude and leaving hardened black trails.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

At the Sunday reception, the couple had their first dance, with Bettina Trump wearing her wedding dress, and ate a five-tier wedding cake topped with a miniature bride and groom.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

Behind us, the hat spun out into the morning air in a white blur, like a miniature flying saucer, and landed right smack in the middle of the highway.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

To prefer these easily manipulable miniatures, however vivid their colors, to the messy present is a form of evasion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Two miniatures, shown here in blown-up copies, may date from Henry and Anne’s courtship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Some scenes for the Rocky Horror Picture Show were recorded at the studios in 1974 and Ridley Scott built and shot the miniatures for his Academy Award winning sci-fi thriller Alien there in 1978.

From BBC ● May 9, 2026

This year, the artist known as Girl Ultra qualifies for the Latin Grammy on the strength of “Blush:” a delicate EP made up of fleeting miniatures, noir impressions of EDM glamour.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2025

Lydia talks at length about Indian carpets and miniatures, Maxine about a college class she’d once taken on Buddhist stupas.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

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