mini

1 of 3

noun

ˈmi-nē 

plural minis

: something small of its kind: such as

a

: minicar

b

: miniskirt

c

: minicomputer

mini

2 of 3

adjective

1

: small in relation to others of the same kind

2

: of short length or duration : brief

mini-

3 of 3

combining form

: smaller or briefer than usual, normal, or standard

minicourse

minibus

Examples of mini in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Pricing context: The mini launched at $99 and has held close to that level. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2025

Device prototypes use a roughly 7-inch horizontal display, approaching the size of an iPad mini. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025

Adjective

The latter are still very much present, in new iterations of the movies’ perennial pregnancy ick; one of the best episodes of the season could stand alone as a mini Alien feature. —Judy Berman, Time, 5 Aug. 2025

The mini router can deliver faster and more stable wireless connections, even when it’s being used in a congested environment. VPN Built In A pair of adjustable external antennas on the TL-WR3602BE can extend the wireless signal strength further. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

mini-

Combining form

miniature

First Known Use

Noun

1960, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1963, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mini

• mini-mart
• mini pill
• mini-stroke

Rhymes for mini

• finny
• ginny
• jinny
• minnie
• ninny
• pinnae
• skinny
• spinney
• swinney
• tinny
• whinny
• winnie

Kids Definition

mini

1 of 2 noun

ˈmin-ē

: something small of its kind: as

a

: miniskirt

b

: minicomputer

mini-

2 of 2 combining form

: very small or short : miniature

minibike

miniskirt

Etymology

Combining form

derived by shortening from miniature