What does "miniature" mean?
Greatly diminished size or form; reduced scale.
Miniature
/ˈmɪnɪt͡ʃə/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Greatly diminished size or form; reduced scale.
- Grammar: miniature is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abstract, abstraction, altarpiece, artifact replica.
- Useful contrasts: giant object, giant planets, large celestial body.
- Usage evidence: The boy is his father in miniature.
How to use "miniature"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "miniature" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "miniature" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "miniature" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "miniature" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "miniature" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abstract" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "miniature", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Greatly diminished size or form; reduced scale.
- 2 a copy that reproduces a person or thing in greatly reduced size wordnet
- 3 A small version of something; a model of reduced scale.
"There was a miniature of a whaling ship in a glass bottle over the mantelpiece."
- 4 painting or drawing included in a book (especially in illuminated medieval manuscripts) wordnet
- 5 A small, highly detailed painting, a portrait miniature.
"The miniature was a picture of Leo's Greek mother - a lovely, dark-eyed creature."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 The art of painting such highly detailed miniature works.
- 7 An illustration in an illuminated manuscript.
- 8 A musical composition which is short in duration.
"Sacha composed a miniature for strings as a final project at the conservatory."
- 9 A chess game which is concluded with very few moves.
- 10 A token in a game representing a unit or character.
"Jack had dozens of miniatures of Napoleonic footsoldiers painted in detailed period regalia for his wargames."
- 11 Lettering in red; rubric distinction.
- 12 A particular feature or trait.
"There's no miniature / In her fair face, but is a copious theme / Which would, discoursed at large of, make a volume."
Verb
- 1 To make smaller than normal; to reproduce in miniature. transitive
"If it be ever so little removed, or seen thro’ the miniaturing End of the Perspective Glass, it either wholly escapes their Sight, or appears to them a mere Minutity."
Adjective
- 1 Smaller than normal.
"I find miniature dogs annoying; they seem to yap more than full-size dogs."
Adjective
- 1 being on a very small scale wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The boy is his father in miniature."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "miniature"?
Common synonyms include: abstract, abstraction, altarpiece, artifact replica, baby, baby-sized.
How do you use "miniature" in a sentence?
The boy is his father in miniature.
How do you pronounce "miniature"?
Pronounced /ˈmɪnɪt͡ʃə/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian miniatura (“manuscript illumination”), from miniare (“to illuminate”), from Latin miniō (“to colour red”), from minium (“red lead”).