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small
/smoːl/
When describing size, "small" is the most common word to use for things that are not big. It is neutral and can be used in almost any situation. When using "small" to describe a mistake or an amount, it often means the thing is "not important" or "insignificant," rather than just physically tiny. Be careful when talking about people: calling an adult "small" usually refers to their height or build. However, saying a child is "too small" usually means they are too young or not developed enough for a certain activity.
💬Casual Conversation
Mark, why is the budget for this project so small? We need to scale up.
My bad man, I totally blanked on the updated sheet.
Meanings
Of a size that is less than average or smaller than normal.
"She lives in a small cottage by the sea."
Limited in amount, quantity, or scale; insignificant.
"He made a small mistake on the final report."
Young or immature in age or development.
"The children were too small to ride the rollercoaster."
Examples
I just need a small coffee to wake up, please.
Look at this small crack; the whole foundation is shifting!
We live in a small apartment near downtown.
You're too small to go into the deep end, honey!
It was just a small mistake, but it cost us everything.
The dog is actually quite small for its breed.
Wait, this small charge on my bill is totally wrong!
I prefer a small group of friends over a crowd.
Is this small bag allowed on the plane, or what?
She has a small collection of vintage stamps.
Collocations & Compounds
small talk
Polite conversation about unimportant or insignificant matters.
small scale
Limited in size, amount, or scope.
small print
Important conditions or restrictions printed in very small type in a legal document.
small business
A company that maintains employees and revenues below certain thresholds.
small amount
A limited quantity of something.
Idioms & Sayings
small talk
Polite conversation about unimportant or insignificant matters.
in small print
Written in very small letters, often used to hide restrictive terms in a contract.
a small world
An expression used when discovering an unexpected mutual acquaintance or connection.
small fry
People or things that are considered insignificant or unimportant.
small beer
Something that is of little importance or value.
Cultural Context
The Small-World Phenomenon: Six Degrees of Separation and the Invisible Threads of Humanity
Have you ever felt a jolt of surprise when meeting a stranger, only to discover that you both share a mutual acquaintance? This is not mere coincidence; it is a manifestation of the "small-world phenomenon," a sociological and mathematical concept suggesting that the social distance between any two people on Earth is remarkably short.
The concept gained global fame through the "Six Degrees of Separation" theory, popularized by Frigyes Karinthy in 1929 and later tested by psychologist Stanley Milgram in his famous 'small-world experiment' during the 1960s. Milgram asked participants to send a package to a target person in a different state via acquaintances who might know someone closer to the goal. The results suggested that, on average, people were connected by roughly six intermediaries. This implies that our global society is essentially a small village where no one is truly isolated.
In the modern era, the digital revolution has shrunk this distance even further. With the advent of social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, the world has become an impossibly small place. Research conducted by Facebook found that the average degree of separation between its users had dropped from six to roughly 3.57. We are now closer to a random person in Tokyo or Nairobi than we ever imagined possible.
Psychologically, this phenomenon is fascinating because it highlights the tension between our perceived isolation and our actual connectivity. While we often feel like small, insignificant cogs in a massive global machine, we are actually nodes in a highly efficient network. The 'small-world' architecture—characterized by local clusters (close friends) and occasional long-range shortcuts (that one friend who moved to another continent)—is what allows information, trends, and viruses to spread with lightning speed across the planet.
Ultimately, the small-world phenomenon serves as a powerful reminder of our shared humanity. It suggests that despite cultural, linguistic, or geographic divides, we are all bound by invisible threads, proving that the gap between 'us' and 'them' is far smaller than it appears.
Etymology
Derived from Middle English 'smal', originating from the Old English 'smæl' (meaning narrow, slender, or small), which traces back to Proto-Germanic 'smalaz'. It is cognate with Dutch 'smal' and German 'schmal', reflecting a historical semantic shift from specifically describing narrowness to denoting overall small size.