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
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.
To minimize any potential health risk, areas north of Garden Grove Boulevard, east of Monarch Street, south of Orangewood Avenue and west of Beach Boulevard were evacuated.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
Swapping assets is often part of estate planning for wealthy taxpayers aiming to minimize exposure to the 50% estate tax rate.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
“The complexity needed if you want to minimize estate taxes is still best served today by an attorney,” he says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
She added BP had been "working with customers and governments to get fuel where it's needed, helping minimize disruption and the impact it can have on people's lives".
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
She showed him how to creep soundlessly forward, knees to the ground; pushing the bow out in front of her to minimize her movement, she took aim.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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.
