niewielki

Niewielki is a Polish adjective describing something small in size or extent, or a modest amount. The term often carries a nuance of not being large or significant, yet still noticeable. It is commonly used in formal writing, journalism, and neutral discourse, where precision about scale or quantity is required without sounding exaggerated.

The word agrees with the noun it modifies in gender, number, and case. Examples include niewielki dom (a small house), niewielka różnica (a small difference), and niewielka ilość (a small amount). Common collocations also include niewielki procent (a small percentage) and niewielka liczba (a small number). In many contexts, niewielki emphasizes not so much absence as limited magnitude.

Etymology and nuance: niewielki is formed from nie- (not) and wielki (big, great). Literally it signals that something is not large, and in practice it conveys modesty or modest scale. It is usually more formal or neutral than synonyms like mały, and it can be less absolute than nieznaczny (insignificant), depending on context.

Synonyms and related terms include drobny, skromny, and nieznaczny; antonyms are duży, wielki, and znaczny. Niewielki is versatile for describing sizes, amounts, or degrees in a restrained, factual register.