minimize
Americanverb (used with object)
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minimizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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minimized,
past participle, past
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minimizing
present participle
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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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List 3
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Kindred
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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:
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
Try keeping them in a smaller space, like a crate, to minimize overstimulation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Samsung did a lot of work to minimize the crease—the dip between the two halves of the big interior display—but it’s still clearly there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Aerodynamic theory and intuition suggested that the rocket and spacecraft combination should be as streamlined as possible, to minimize aerodynamic drag.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Turning off the faucet: Antiretroviral therapy doesn't eliminate HIV altogether, but it minimizes its ability to replicate.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
That minimizes the gift-tax hit for the founder and ensures that each piece of the stack can get its own $15 million exclusion when the company is worth more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
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
Los Azules has promised to use an extraction method that minimizes water use.
From Barron's ● May 23, 2026
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
"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
As a result, some of the worst threats have gone unanswered, or been minimized, or been swept aside under the banner of “free speech.”
From Slate ● May 12, 2026
Noelle also implies — falsely — that cardio exercise can “throw your hormones off” and should be minimized, or even avoided.
From Salon ● May 8, 2026
The Yahoo mail page was minimized, next to a page about college basketball.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Terra Drone’s answer: Unmanned aerial vehicles that use radar, cameras and artificial intelligence to collide with hostile drones, minimizing the need for highly trained pilots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 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
Advisers say it’s important to look beyond minimizing taxes in a single year and instead focus on reducing your lifetime tax bill.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026
“I’m not minimizing the wrong that’s being done here. I just...”
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
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.
