minor element

American  

noun

1. Geology. any chemical element found in small quantities in the rocks of the earth's crust.

2. Biochemistry. trace element.

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Etymology

Origin of minor element

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

“History will pinpoint me as merely a minor element in an ongoing major event, a small if necessary energy,” he wrote.

From New York Times • Jan. 7, 2022

Despite the title, the father’s words turn out to be a minor element; they only come into play late in the film and with unsettling resonance.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2021

He believes that a love-it-or-leave-it debate over this squad will be so intense that the fact that he started it will eventually become a minor element.

From Fox News • Jul. 16, 2019

Here’s, it’s just another minor element of the premise.

From The Verge • Jun. 7, 2019

There was a minor element of personal risk, he warned me.

From The Portal of Dreams by Buck, Charles Neville