small time

¹ American  

noun

1. a circuit of minor theaters giving three or more shows daily.

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small-time ² American  

[smawl-tahym] / ˈsmɔlˈtaɪm /

adjective

1. of modest or insignificant size, importance, or influence.

   a small-time politician.

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small-time British  

adjective

1. informal insignificant; minor

   a small-time criminal

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small time Idioms  

1. A modest or minor level of achievement, as in Her success took her out of the small time to prime-time television. This expression was originally used in vaudeville for second-rate theaters and productions. [Early 1900s] Also see big time, def. 2.

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Other Word Forms

• small-timer noun

Etymology

Origin of small time¹

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Origin of small-time²

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

The challenge is tied to the interval between computational steps: to capture rapid events such as supernova evolution, the simulation must advance in very small time increments.

From Science Daily • Nov. 16, 2025

Ah, but back to the small time, the part time, the pure of heart, the candidates without fundraising consultants.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 5, 2023

"Just like slow-mo cameras reveal details about movement, breaking our data into small time pieces allows us to see how the GRB changes and learn more."

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2023

“We couldn’t have asked them to do any more than they did in such a small time being in law enforcement.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2022

But it isn’t silly, this preoccupation with small time units.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• petty