minimalist
Americannoun
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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.
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a practitioner of minimalism in music or art.
adjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of minimalism.
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being or offering no more than what is required or essential.
a minimalist program for tax reform.
noun
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a person advocating a minimal policy, style, technique, action, etc
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a minimal artist
adjective
noun
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a member of the faction of the Social Revolutionaries that advocated immediate postrevolutionary democracy
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a less common name for a Menshevik
Usage
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.
Etymology
Origin of minimalist
1905–10; in political use < French minimaliste ( minimal, -ist ), translation of Russian men'shevík Menshevik; subsequent uses perhaps recoinage with minimal, -ist
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A relative, as it happens, of Anne Frank, he designed pieces that were both minimalist and luxurious.
But some critics have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, messier homes most people inhabit.
From BBC
Sure, there’s always a place for a minimalist little arugula number dressed with lemon, parmesan and black pepper.
From Salon
The house is an antidote to minimalist interiors but, as her husband Jack Powell explains, sometimes the painted floor makes it hard to see his daughter's toys.
From BBC
During Capri Holdings' ownership, Versace shifted from its recognisable ornate designs to embrace a more minimalist trend – while hiking prices.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
