minuscule

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "minuscule" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that is very small or insignificant. Example: The tiny creature could barely be seen, its minuscule legs barely visible through the magnifying glass.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The Riga government argues that the Latvia's banking sector is minuscule compared to that in Cyprus, whose economy relies on big off-shore banking operations.

The Guardian

I imagine this must cost a huge amount and that payments of fees, commissions and rebranding must quite reasonably come out of my minuscule bonus.

The Guardian - Money

Will the public get a guaranteed refund on any costs of the carbon price… you know, like the one that already exists under the current legislation and compensates the vast majority of taxpayers for minuscule cost of living increases?

The Guardian

The problem with people coming from outside the UK in order to sponge off our health service - that may be a problem and we should certainly deal with abuse - but the figures tell us that they impose rather small costs on the health service and certainly, compared to the scale of the problem, it is minuscule.

The Guardian

"The minuscule savings they've got in terms of the scale of the budget they're dealing with is really not worth the loss to Australian culture, democracy and society that flows from there".

The Guardian

At beginner level, on minuscule training jumps that barely lift you off the ground and are rubbish to look at, it's a huge disappointment.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

You could just make out this minuscule couple parting with a chaste kiss in front of a newspaper stand.

The Guardian - Arts

The smaller your cable package is, the more minuscule the discount, as the helpful marketing folks at Cox confirmed.

The Guardian - Money

Just as Twitter is theoretically an important tool for public discourse but is actually a forum for weirdos to shout at famous people, it's easy to see Meerkat turning into a home for dingbats and wingnuts, where attention-seeking teenagers and racists can blast their nonsense to a minuscule but dedicated audience, webcam-style.

The Guardian

By now, Tom must, Rachel feels, have known that his chances of seeing his wife or their children again were minuscule.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

At one point, I was outside of the less than 1% of Americans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, where a minuscule fraction of that population would see ground or aerial combat.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "minuscule", ensure the context clearly indicates a comparison or an expected larger size for emphasis. This helps highlight the extreme smallness being described.

Common error

Avoid overuse of "minuscule" in formal writing where a more neutral term like "small" or "tiny" might be more appropriate. The term can sometimes be perceived as hyperbolic, especially when less emphasis is needed.

Linguistic Context

The word "minuscule" functions primarily as an adjective, modifying nouns to indicate that they are extremely small. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable status. It emphasizes a size that is significantly below the average or expected.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

30%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "minuscule" is an adjective used to describe something exceptionally small or insignificant. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. Predominantly found in news, business, and scientific contexts, it conveys emphasis and precision. When writing, ensure the context warrants the strong emphasis provided by this word, and be aware that "miniscule" is a common misspelling. Alternatives include "very small" or "microscopic", depending on the nuance you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

very small

Replaces the single word with two, emphasizing the size.

extremely tiny

Uses a different intensifier to describe the small size.

incredibly small

Emphasizes the small size with a different adverb.

vanishingly small

Implies that the size is so small it's almost disappearing.

microscopic

Indicates the size is only visible with a microscope.

infinitesimal

Suggests the size is immeasurably small.

negligibly small

Highlights that the size is so small it's not worth considering.

virtually imperceptible

Focuses on the difficulty of perceiving something due to its small size.

almost undetectable

Indicates the size is so small it is nearly impossible to detect.

scarcely visible

Emphasizes the difficulty in seeing something due to its small size.

FAQs

How to use "minuscule" in a sentence?

You can use "minuscule" to describe something that is extremely small. For example, "The company's profits were "minuscule" compared to last year's earnings." The examples above can help to understand how is used in context.

What can I say instead of "minuscule"?

You can use alternatives like "very small", "extremely tiny", or "microscopic" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "minuscule" or "miniscule"?

"Minuscule" is the correct spelling. "Miniscule" is a common misspelling.

What's the difference between "minuscule" and "small"?

"Minuscule" implies something is exceptionally small, often suggesting it's the smallest possible size. "Small" is a general term for less than average size, without the extreme connotation.