minuscule

Alternative forms

• miniscule (originally a misspelling, but now so common that it has come to be considered an alternative spelling by many)

Etymology

From French minuscule, from Latin minuscula, feminine of minusculus (“rather less, rather small”), from minus (“less, smaller”) + -culus (diminutive suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪ.nəˌskjuːl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪ.nəˌskjul/, /mɪˈnʌˌskjul/

Noun

minuscule (plural minuscules)

1. A lowercase letter.
2. Either of the two medieval handwriting styles minuscule cursive and Caroline minuscule.
3. A letter in these styles.

Adjective

minuscule (comparative more minuscule, superlative most minuscule)

1. Written in minuscules, lowercase.
2. Written in minuscule handwriting style.
3. Very small, tiny.
   • 2013 May 25, “No hiding place”, in The Economist‎, volume 407, number 8837, page 74:

     In America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result. If the bumf arrived electronically, the take-up rate was 0.1%. And for online adverts the “conversion” into sales was a minuscule 0.01%.

   a minuscule dot

Usage notes

See the usage notes at miniscule

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi.nys.kyl/

• audio

  (file)

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin minusculus.

Etymology 2

By ellipsis of [lettre] minuscule.

Further reading

• “minuscule” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /miˈnus.ku.le/, [mɪˈnʊs.kʊ.ɫɛ]

Adjective

minuscule

1. vocative masculine singular of minusculus

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [miˈnus.ku.le]

Adjective

minuscule

1. feminine plural nominative of minuscul
2. feminine plural accusative of minuscul
3. neuter plural nominative of minuscul
4. neuter plural accusative of minuscul