minimize

[ min-uh-mahyz ]

/ ˈmɪn əˌmaɪz /

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See synonyms for: minimize / minimized / minimizing / minimization on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), min·i·mized, min·i·miz·ing.

to reduce to the smallest possible amount or degree.

to represent at the lowest possible amount, value, importance, influence, etc., especially in a disparaging way; belittle.

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Also especially British, min·i·mise .

Origin of minimize

First recorded in 1795–1805; minim(um) + -ize

OTHER WORDS FROM minimize

min·i·mi·za·tion, nounmin·i·miz·er, nounun·min·i·mized, adjectiveun·min·i·miz·ing, adjective

Words nearby minimize

minimarket, minimart, minimax, Mini-Me, minimill, minimize, minimoon, minimoto, minimum, minimum-access programming, minimum lending rate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use minimize in a sentence

All the airplane parameters, including wingspan, aerodynamics, speed, flight profile and energy systems, had therefore been designed to minimize energy loss.
Use today’s tech solutions to meet the climate crisis and do it profitably|Walter Thompson|February 12, 2021|TechCrunch
Our culture holds a narrow view of what qualifies as worthy of grief, and we tend to minimize our pain by comparing it to others who may have lost a loved one to death and appear to “have it worse.”
Politics and conspiracy theories are fracturing relationships. Here’s how to grieve those broken bonds.|Jeff Schrum|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
Marissa Levine, a professor of public health practice at the Tampa-based University of South Florida, said she hopes people will try to minimize their risk due to the threat of the variants and still-high transmission.
Super spreader Sunday? Experts worry Super Bowl could trigger coronavirus explosion|Brittany Shammas, Fenit Nirappil, Mark Maske|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
Our focus is to always minimize the impact on our people whenever possible.
PayPal is shutting down domestic payments business in India|Manish Singh|February 5, 2021|TechCrunch

You would think that an employer would want to minimize risk towards its workforce.
Why Amazon’s $62 Million FTC Labor Settlement Is a Bigger Deal Than the Bezos News|Abby Vesoulis|February 4, 2021|Time
We coo over how cute our cat is and minimize the drudgery of cleaning the litter box.
Why Didn’t Camille Dump Bill Cosby?|Amanda Marcotte|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“To minimize sprawl” has become a bedrock catchphrase of the core political ideology.
The Progressives’ War on Suburbia|Joel Kotkin|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When used outside of major urban areas, they minimize the risk of civilian casualties and requirements for granular intelligence.
Who the U.S. Should Really Hit in ISIS|Daniel Trombly, Yasir Abbas|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now, one company is trying to minimize the potential danger of these (often necessary and life-saving) machines.
Are Routine Scans Causing Cancer?|Dale Eisinger|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“We wanted to minimize the risks,” says the senior State Department official.
U.S. Diplomats and Marines Close Embassy and Flee Libya Fighting|Jamie Dettmer|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Gersonides's entire discussion of miracles shows a deep seated motive to minimize their extent and influence.
A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy|Isaac Husik
Nevertheless we must not too much minimize the real merit of those who sought the destruction of slavery.
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920|Various
Of course this will operate with our view of the future too, but only in a general way, to minimize ambition and anxiety.
Memoirs of Arthur Hamilton, B. A. Of Trinity College, Cambridge|Arthur Christopher Benson
Wide trenches (6 feet at the top), to minimize the risk of men getting buried during bombardment.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various
To minimize the hmorrhage, adrenalin may be added to the cocaine solution.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for minimize

minimize

minimise

/ (ˈmɪnɪˌmaɪz) /

verb (tr)

to reduce to or estimate at the least possible degree or amountto minimize a risk

to rank or treat at less than the true worth; belittleto minimize someone's achievements

Derived forms of minimize

minimization or minimisation, nounminimizer or minimiser, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

minimize

Origin of minimize

OTHER WORDS FROM minimize

Words nearby minimize

Words related to minimize

How to use minimize in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for minimize

minimise

Derived forms of minimize