diminutive

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Etymology

From Middle French diminutif (1398), from Latin dīminutīvum, from dēminuō ("diminish").

Pronunciation

• (British) IPA: /dɪˈmɪn.jʊ.tɪv/
• (America) IPA: /dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/, /dəˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/

Adjective

diminutive

1. Very small.

   Synonyms: lilliputian, tiny

   Antonyms: huge, gigantic

2. (obsolete) Serving to diminish.
   • 1711, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times, 1714 edition republished by Gregg International Publishers, 1968, Volume 3, Miscellany 3, Chapter 2, p. 175,

     They cou’d, perhaps, even embrace POVERTY contentedly, rather than submit to any thing diminutive either of their inward Freedom or national Liberty.

3. (grammar) Of or pertaining to, or creating a word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.

   Antonyms: augmentative

Translations

• French: minuscule
• German: winzig, diminutiv
• Italian: minuscolo
• Portuguese: minúsculo, diminuto
• Russian: кро́хотный
• Spanish: diminuto

Translations

• German: verkleinernd
• Italian: diminutivo
• Portuguese: diminutivo, diminuidor
• Russian: уменьши́тельный
• Spanish: diminutivo

Translations

• French: diminutif
• German: diminutiv
• Portuguese: diminutivo
• Russian: уменьши́тельный
• Spanish: diminutivo

Noun

diminutive (plural diminutives)

1. (grammar) A word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.

   Synonyms: nomen deminutivum, pet form

   Antonyms: augmentative

   Booklet, the diminutive of book, means ‘small book’.

Related terms

• diminish
• diminution
• diminutization
• diminutize

Translations

• French: diminutif
• German: Diminutiv, Diminutivum, Verkleinerungsform, Verkleinerungswort, Diminutivbildung, Deminutiv, Deminutivum
• Italian: diminutivo
• Portuguese: diminutivo
• Russian: диминути́в
• Spanish: diminutivo

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