minimize

American

[min-uh-mahyz] / ˈmɪn əˌmaɪz /

especially British, minimise

verb (used with object)

minimized, minimizing

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.

minimize British

/ ˈmɪnɪˌmaɪz /

verb

to reduce to or estimate at the least possible degree or amount

to minimize a risk
to rank or treat at less than the true worth; belittle

to minimize someone's achievements

"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

Other Word Forms

minimization noun
minimizer noun
unminimized adjective
unminimizing adjective

Etymology

Origin of minimize

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023