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
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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:
After the June 2025 bombings, Tehran may have put its surviving centrifuges there to minimize their risk of destruction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Consumers, however, have been advised to avoid several raw produce items to minimize their risks.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Earthworks and Comité Cívico del Valle have repeatedly said they don’t outright oppose lithium development in the area, but want CTR to acknowledge and minimize potential harm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
If you’re debt-free or take steps to minimize debt, that’s a major advantage.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
Well, in a way—and I have no wish to minimize his peculiar role and his peculiar achievement—it is not he who has done it but time.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
As for your dinner: Anyone who minimizes your agency — whether it’s a friend or an acquaintance who is selling you something — is to be avoided.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 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
"By combining optical nonlinear sensing, which effectively minimizes background noise, with an amplification-free design, our method offers a distinct balance of speed and precision."
From Science Daily ● Feb. 16, 2026
Tarek Mansour, Kalshi’s co-founder and chief executive, said prediction markets are structured in a way that minimizes the conflicts of interest present in gambling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025
Slash-and-burn minimizes the time in which the ground is unprotected.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Sun reported her exit and minimized screen time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 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
Noelle also implies — falsely — that cardio exercise can “throw your hormones off” and should be minimized, or even avoided.
From Salon ● May 8, 2026
I have sat across from women who were deeply afraid, and I have watched as their fears were minimized, explained away, or ignored by the very systems meant to protect them.
From Slate ● Apr. 25, 2026
I swiveled back around in my chair, looked at my computer screen, and minimized my history paper.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
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
This type of trust allows extremely wealthy families to preserve and grow their fortunes across generations by minimizing estate and gift taxes.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 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
Many regulations are essential guardrails of safety: minimizing the risk of financial crises, ensuring that our food isn’t harmful, protecting us from airplanes that malfunction, and so forth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
“Uh, no,” he said, minimizing the window on the computer monitor.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
