minuscule
[ min-uh-skyool, mi-nuhs-kyool ]
/ ˈmɪn əˌskyul, mɪˈnʌs kyul /
adjective
very small.
(of letters or writing) small; not capital.
written in such letters (opposed to majuscule).
noun
a minuscule letter.
a small cursive script developed in the 7th century a.d. from the uncial, which it afterward superseded.
Origin of minuscule
usage note for minuscule
Minuscule, from Latin
minus meaning “less,” has frequently come to be spelled
miniscule, perhaps under the influence of the prefix
mini- in the sense “of a small size.” Although this newer spelling is criticized by many, it occurs with such frequency in edited writing that some consider it a variant spelling rather than a misspelling.
OTHER WORDS FROM minuscule
mi·nus·cu·lar, adjectiveWords nearby minuscule
minus,
minus cyclophoria,
minus sight,
minus sign,
minus tick,
minuscule,
minute,
minute gun,
minute hand,
minute mark,
minute steak
Example sentences from the Web for minuscule
British Dictionary definitions for minuscule
minuscule
/ (ˈmɪnəˌskjuːl) /
noun
a lower-case letter
writing using such letters
a small cursive 7th-century style of lettering derived from the uncial
adjective
relating to, printed in, or written in small letters
Compare majuscule
very small
(of letters) lower-case
Derived forms of minuscule
minuscular (mɪˈnʌskjʊlə), adjectiveWord Origin for minuscule
C18: from French, from Latin (
littera)
minuscula very small (letter), diminutive of
minor