Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Extremely small; tiny: Refers to something of a very small size or amount.
   • Written in lowercase letters: Pertaining to or consisting of small letters, as opposed to capitals or majuscules.
   • Relating to a historical script: Of or relating to a small, cursive script developed from uncial writing, used from the 7th to 9th centuries.

2. Noun:

   • A historical script: A small, cursive script developed from uncial between the 7th and 9th centuries, used in medieval manuscripts.
   • A lowercase letter: A small letter, as opposed to a capital.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:

  • The budget for the project was minuscule, forcing us to be very creative.
  • The poet e.e. cummings famously used minuscule letters in his works.
  • Archaeologists found minuscule fragments of pottery at the site.

• Noun:

  • The scribe carefully copied the text in a beautiful minuscule.
  • In typography, the 'a' and 'b' are minuscules.

Advanced Usage

• "of minuscule importance": of very little or no significance.
  • The difference in their opinions was of minuscule importance to the final decision.

Variants and Related Words

• Minusculely (adverb): in a minuscule manner; very slightly.
  • The results varied only minusculely from the predicted model.

Synonyms

• Tiny: extremely small.
• Minute: extremely small in size or degree.
• Microscopic: so small as to be visible only with a microscope; figuratively, very small.
• Lowercase: (specifically for letters) not capitalized.

Antonyms

• Enormous: very large in size, quantity, or extent.
• Gigantic: of very great size or extent; huge.
• Majuscule: a large letter, either capital or uncial.
• Capital: (in typography) a letter of the size and form used to begin sentences and names.

Adjective

1. very small
   • a minuscule kitchen
   • a minuscule amount of rain fell
2. lowercase
   • little a
   • small a
   • e.e.cummings's poetry is written all in minuscule letters
3. of or relating to a small cursive script developed from uncial; 7th to 9th centuries

Noun

1. a small cursive script developed from uncial between the 7th and 9th centuries and used in medieval manuscripts
2. the characters that were once kept in bottom half of a compositor's type case