minimal

[min-uh-muhl]

adjective

1. constituting a minimum.

   a minimal mode of transportation.

2. barely adequate or the least possible.

   minimal care.

   Synonyms: minimum, nominal

ˈminimal

/ ˈmɪnɪməl /

adjective

1. of the least possible; minimum or smallest

Other Word Forms

• minimally adverb
• nonminimal adjective
• subminimal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of minimal¹

First recorded in 1660–70; minim(um) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

The rest of Southern California, especially urban, coastal areas, will notice a shift in weather, but rainfall will be minimal, he said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

While Justice Secretary Angela Constance has predicted that the cost to public bodies will be minimal, she said ministers were aware that they had to provide sufficient resources for the reforms to work.

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Health and Human Services has also indicated that it will use all available funding to maintain “minimal readiness for all hazards” and will maintain certain medical services, such as the Indian Health Service.

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Previously, the Public Accounts Committee criticised what it called the DWP's "seemingly complacent assurances that this reduction in support has had minimal impact on claimants".

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Its orders have typically been short, offering limited legal reasoning and leaving lower-level judges with minimal guidance.

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Related Words

• basic 
• essential 
• minimum 
• nominal 
• token