minimal

Bridgezipf 4.11

Pronunciation

/ˈmɪnɪməl/(MIN-i-mul)

Part of speech

adjectiveneutral

Chinese

极少的；最小程度的（数量或程度尽可能小）

Definition

Of a minimum amount; very small or the least possible.

Word family

  • minimize/ˈmɪnɪmaɪz/(v)最小化
  • minimum/ˈmɪnɪməm/(n/adj)最低量；最小的
  • minimally/ˈmɪnɪməlɪ/(adv)极少地

Collocations

  • minimal effort
  • minimal disruption
  • minimal impact
  • with minimal resources
  • minimal risk
  • at minimal cost

Examples

  1. 1.The repair was completed with minimal disruption to the rest of the building's operations.
  2. 2.The goal is to achieve maximum output with minimal waste — efficiency at every stage.

Synonyms

  • negligible/ˈnɛɡlɪdʒɪbəl/— so small as to be unimportant
  • slight/slaɪt/— small in degree
  • token/ˈtəʊkən/— minimal; done as a gesture only

Etymology

from Latin "minimus" = smallest, from "minor" (less)