minimalist

[min-uh-muh-list]

noun

1. a person who favors a moderate approach to the achievement of a set of goals or who holds minimal expectations for the success of a program.

2. a practitioner of minimalism in music or art.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of minimalism.

2. being or offering no more than what is required or essential.

   a minimalist program for tax reform.

ˈminimalist

¹

/ ˈmɪnɪməlɪst /

noun

1. a person advocating a minimal policy, style, technique, action, etc

2. a minimal artist

adjective

1. of or relating to minimal art or artists

Minimalist

²

/ ˈmɪnɪməlɪst /

noun

1. a member of the faction of the Social Revolutionaries that advocated immediate postrevolutionary democracy

2. a less common name for a Menshevik

Word History and Origins

Origin of minimalist¹

1905–10; in political use < French minimaliste ( minimal, -ist ), translation of Russian men'shevík Menshevik; subsequent uses perhaps recoinage with minimal, -ist

Example Sentences

Nearby, a giant minimalist statue of Pope John Paul II has been dressed in a Palestinian scarf.

Read more on BBC

Nobu Hotel – Located in the West Loop near Fulton Market, the Nobu Hotel offers a striking contrast to many of Chicago’s popular hotels, with a minimalist Japanese design meant to promote tranquility.

Read more on Salon

But while Grimshaw remained true to the hi-tech minimalist creed, Farrell increasingly felt pulled in a different direction.

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Inside, there’s unnerving minimalist furniture, dramatic saunas and ice baths and an indoor football field with a throwing machine powerful enough to knock out a tooth.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The 10 staffers who run the operation toil on minimalist sets in Phoenix and Tampa, Fla., which helps keep the service profitable.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• essential 
• minimal 

When To Use

What does minimalist mean?

Minimalist is most generally used as an adjective describing a style or approach  that uses a small number of elements.Minimalist can also be used to refer to a person who favors a style or approach.More specifically, minimalist can refer to an artist who practices or uses Minimalism, which can refer to a type of painting or sculpture (sometimes called minimal art), music, or other art form. Art forms labeled minimalist typically use the simplest and fewest elements with the goal of creating the maximum effect.The term minimalism can also be used in a more general way to refer to a minimalist style or approach.The related adjective minimalistic is used to describe something that is stripped down to its most essential elements or uses only what is needed. Both minimalist and minimalistic can be used to describe things that are simplified and include only the most basic components, without embellishment.Example: Jane says she’s a minimalist when it comes to interior design, but to me it just looks like her house is missing a lot of furniture.