1
: small in scope
especially : small in output or operation
2
of a map : having a scale (such as one inch to 25 miles) that permits plotting of comparatively little detail and shows mainly large features

Examples of small-scale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Embracing failure as a learning opportunity, supported by small-scale experiments (Minimum Viable Products, or MVPs). Greg Orme, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024 The small-scale music festival — which first took place in December 2014 — sees the New Jersey natives perform alongside their friends and favorite bands to commemorate the end of the year. Raven Brunner, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024 Nearly 130 years after gold was discovered in Kern County’s Rand District, small-scale prospectors are once again staking claims. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024 And on either end of the spectrum, both small-scale individual rooftop solar panels and large-scale utility solar arrays have benefited from incentives to increase solar, including tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Sarah Sax, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for small-scale 

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of small-scale was in 1851

Dictionary Entries Near small-scale

Cite this Entry

“Small-scale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/small-scale. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!