# small

/ˈsmɔɫ/ (US) · /smˈɔːl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/small
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. size or amount

adjective · CEFR A1

not large in size, amount, or number.

For teachers: of limited physical extent, volume, or quantity; the standard antonym for 'large' or 'big'.

- We live in a small apartment in the center of the city.
- The startup began with a small team of engineers working out of a shared garage before securing their first round of venture capital.

### 2. young

adjective · CEFR A2

young, like a child.

For teachers: referring to a person in an early stage of life; often used to describe children or younger siblings.

- I remember visiting my grandmother when I was a small boy.
- The teacher noticed that the small children in the back row were struggling to see the whiteboard during the demonstration.

### 3. unimportant

adjective · CEFR B1

not important or not serious.

For teachers: insignificant in value, importance, or impact.

- Don't worry about the small details; we need to finish the main project first.
- The manager dismissed the error as a small oversight, though the auditors later argued it indicated a systemic failure in reporting.

### 4. lowercase letters

adjective · CEFR B2

written in the lower form of a letter, not a capital letter.

For teachers: referring to lowercase characters in a script or typeface.

- You need to write your password using both capital and small letters.
- The manuscript was written entirely in small letters, which was unusual for a formal document of that era.

### 5. clothing size

noun · CEFR A2

a size of clothing for people who are not big.

For teachers: a standard commercial size for manufactured goods, typically smaller than 'medium'.

- This shirt is a small, but I think I need a medium.
- The retailer reported that they had sold out of the small and extra-small sizes within hours of the product launch.

### 7. into pieces

adverb · CEFR B2

into very little pieces.

For teachers: into small fragments or particles.

- You should chop the onions small so they cook quickly.
- The recipe requires the herbs to be cut small to ensure the flavor is distributed evenly throughout the sauce.

## Examples

- The cat is very small and cute.
- We live in a small apartment in the city center because it is close to work.
- Even a small change in the global temperature can have a significant impact on delicate ecosystems and weather patterns over several decades.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.