minimize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to reduce to the smallest possible amount or degree.
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to represent at the lowest possible amount, value, importance, influence, etc., especially in a disparaging way; belittle.
verb
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to reduce to or estimate at the least possible degree or amount
to minimize a risk
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to rank or treat at less than the true worth; belittle
to minimize someone's achievements
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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minimizesimple
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minimizessimple
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have minimizedperfect
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has minimizedperfect
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am minimizingprogressive
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are minimizingprogressive
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is minimizingprogressive
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have been minimizingperfect progressive
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has been minimizingperfect progressive
Past
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minimizedsimple
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had minimizedperfect
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was minimizingprogressive
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were minimizingprogressive
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had been minimizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of minimize
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.
Vocabulary lists containing minimize
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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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.
See Examples For:
The Pentagon, which also seeks to minimize its dependency on foreign countries, is working to boost its stocks of linter supplies and capacity to process guncotton.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Consumers, however, have been advised to avoid several raw produce items to minimize their risks.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
If you’re debt-free or take steps to minimize debt, that’s a major advantage.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
And by avoiding the title “teacher,” the models can inadvertently minimize the profession, he adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Gradually, the theater emptied, Mr. Turner shouting to us that we, at least, must remain stationary and minimize, rather than enhance, the violence of the rout.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
It minimizes your role in your marriage and in your life, and it attempts to put you in a box.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 6, 2026
"Anyone who minimizes violence against women and girls is not voicing an isolated opinion, but revealing a complacent attitude toward abuse," the center said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026
What’s more, by vastly expanding the number of possible applications, the process minimizes the importance of each submission.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
Mathematically, the principle of minimum change minimizes the distance between the joint probability distributions of the initial and updated belief.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2025
Among the many advantages of selective spraying is the fact that it minimizes the amount of chemical applied to the landscape.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
True abuse must never be minimized, and victims deserve safety.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
But it also suggests that viewers are mature enough to absorb the tougher truths omitted from Wilder’s original vision, as well as the roles of others who were minimized, like Sims’ good doctor.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 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
“The fastball was good, slider was good, used the curveball, minimized hits.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
The Yahoo mail page was minimized, next to a page about college basketball.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Society of Professional Journalists’ ethics code emphasizes minimizing harm while also acting in the public interest and holding power accountable.
From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026
The team emphasizes that their findings should not be interpreted as minimizing the ecological importance of large predators.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 14, 2026
You make it a much more modest annual charge, addressing long-term problems while minimizing the pain.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026
“Internally, there are always extensive discussions to ensure we strike the right balance between ensuring the highest standards of guest safety and minimizing impact on marine ecosystems,” Club Med said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
Gripping with all his strength, Drum faced into the storm, his streamlined body minimizing the wind.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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.
