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Minuscule comes from the Latin adjective minusculus ("somewhat smaller" or "fairly small"), which in turn pairs the base of minus ("smaller") with -culus, a diminutive suffix (that is, one indicating small size). The minuscule spelling is consistent with the word’s etymology, but that didn’t stop English speakers from adopting the variant spelling miniscule, likely because they associated it with the combining form mini- and such words as minimal and minimum. Usage commentators generally consider the miniscule spelling an error, but it is widely used in reputable and carefully edited publications, and is accepted as a legitimate variant in some dictionaries. (Our own dictionary identifies miniscule as a "disputed spelling variant.")
Examples of minuscule in a Sentence
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 4 July 2025
There is a minuscule chance the Browns would consider heading into the regular season with five total quarterbacks on their roster.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025
Microplastics, minuscule bits of plastic that break off of larger products, are smaller than a pencil eraser, measuring less than 5 millimeters.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 1 July 2025
Biologists have access to high-resolution microscopes and other tools that make minuscule details of cells or tissues visible.
—Eva Amsen, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for minuscule
Cite this Entry
“Minuscule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minuscule. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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