minuscule
UK: ˈmɪnəskjuːl | US: ˈmɪnəˌskjul
adj. extremely small; insignificant
adj. (of letters) written in lowercase
n. a lowercase letter
Derived from Latin minusculus ("rather small"), a diminutive of minor ("less"). The term originally referred to small, cursive script developed in the 7th century (later called "lowercase" in printing). Over time, it generalized to mean "tiny" in any context. The morpheme minus preserves its Latin root meaning "small," while -cule (via French) acts as a diminutive suffix akin to "-ule" in English (e.g., molecule).
The error margin was minuscule but critical.
Medieval scribes used minuscule script for faster writing.
Only a minuscule fraction of applicants passed the test.
The artist painted minuscule details with a single-hair brush.
Differences between the two species are minuscule.