# diminutive

> English word · Adjective · IPA /dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/ · frequency rank #25,733

## Definitions
1. Very small.
2. Serving to diminish.
3. Of or pertaining to, or creating a word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English diminutif, derived from Old French diminutif, derived from Latin dīminutīv|us, ~a, ~um (adjective), from dīminūt|us, ~a, ~um (participle), perfect passive participle of dīmin|uō, ~uere, ~uī, ~ūtum (verb). First attested in 1398.

## Common misspellings (14)
`ddiminutive`, `diimnutive`, `diminnutive`, `dimintuive`, `diminuitve`, `diminutiev`, `diminutivve`, `diminuttive`, `diminutvie`, `dimiuntive`, `dimminutive`, `dimniutive`, `dmiinutive`, `idminutive`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/diminutive