minimize

American  

[min-uh-mahyz] / ˈmɪn əˌmaɪz /

especially British, minimise

verb (used with object)

• minimizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• minimized,
  past participle,  past
• minimizing
  present participle

1. 

   to reduce to the smallest possible amount or degree.

2. to represent at the lowest possible amount, value, importance, influence, etc., especially in a disparaging way; belittle.

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minimize British  

/ ˈmɪnɪˌmaɪz /

verb

1. to reduce to or estimate at the least possible degree or amount

   to minimize a risk

2. to rank or treat at less than the true worth; belittle

   to minimize someone's achievements

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• minimization
  noun
• minimizer
  noun
• unminimized
  adjective
• unminimizing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• minimizing
  present
• minimized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• minimize
  simple
• minimizes
  simple
• have minimized
  perfect
• has minimized
  perfect
• am minimizing
  progressive
• are minimizing
  progressive
• is minimizing
  progressive
• have been minimizing
  perfect progressive
• has been minimizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• minimized
  simple
• had minimized
  perfect
• was minimizing
  progressive
• were minimizing
  progressive
• had been minimizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will minimize
  simple
• will have minimized
  perfect
• will be minimizing
  progressive
• will have been minimizing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of minimize

First recorded in 1795–1805; minim(um) + -ize

Explanation

The verb minimize describes making something smaller or less serious. It typically refers to something negative that is being reduced, like when you eat at home instead of in restaurants to minimize expenses. To correctly pronounce minimize, accent the first syllable, which gets the short i sound: "MIH-nuh-mize." Minimize looks like minimum, which has the same spelling and meaning in English and Latin: smallest. To minimize something is to reduce it to its smallest amount — in size or importance. Other related words include minimal, miniscule, minute, and mini.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

minimize minimizes minimized minimizing

“We funded Chinook helicopters to drop more water and foam on the fire. We were doing anything we could, at frankly any expense, to try to minimize the impact of this fire on the community.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

Though it’s always best to avoid or at least minimize long-lasting card balances, Wise said “it’s maybe a bit more urgent.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

In rejecting his release in 2021, Newsom said Davis had continued to minimize his role in the crimes and shown a lack of empathy for his victims.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

It may sound obvious, but it’s a simple and effective way to minimize phone-induced distractions while dining out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

He struggled again, and I calmly wrapped him in a hug, trying to minimize the scene as much as possible.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

Ms. Southon rightly appreciates that manumission was a tool of slave-owners’ power, but she excessively minimizes how common it was.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

As for your dinner: Anyone who minimizes your agency — whether it’s a friend or an acquaintance who is selling you something — is to be avoided.

From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026

Los Azules has promised to use an extraction method that minimizes water use.

From Barron's ● May 23, 2026

But the new study’s “premise that the majority of disappearances are voluntary absences minimizes the responsibility of the state,” concluded the Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez Center for Human Rights.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026

Two cultures: one emphasizes the difference between Evidence-Indices and Evidence-Perspicuity; the other minimizes it.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

And women’s contributions were often minimized by putting the focus elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

In the past year, six members of Congress have died in office, and while a couple were surprises, most of them had health issues they minimized or ignored until it was too late.

From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026

True abuse must never be minimized, and victims deserve safety.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

"Strikingly, when this receptor was removed from the mice, the development of arterial plaques dropped significantly in some areas and disruptions to the gut microbiome were minimized."

From Science Daily ● Jun. 9, 2026

As much as Jus hates that the death of his best friend was minimized by the hung jury, he can’t begin to imagine what Manny’s parents must be going through.

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone

Tripling volumes, hitting annual release dates like clockwork, minimizing risky capital investments and returning more than $1 trillion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks helped Cook multiply Apple’s valuation 13 times during his tenure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

The act, adopted in 1970, has been credited for protecting California’s natural resources and minimizing pollution.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

Scientists would also need to establish an appropriate dose that provides benefits safely while minimizing the risk of harmful interactions with other medications.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

“Retirement planning isn’t about minimizing taxes this year, it’s about minimizing taxes over your lifetime,” said Easton Price, a certified financial planner at Prosperity Wealth Planning.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026

I could reduce my caloric use by minimizing manual labor.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• curtail
• decrease
• diminish
• downplay
• lessen
• play down
• reduce
• trivialize
• underestimate