minimize

American  

[min-uh-mahyz] / ˈmɪn əˌmaɪz /

especially British, minimise

verb (used with object)

minimizes, present (3rd person singular) minimized, past participle, past minimizing present participle

1. to reduce to the smallest possible amount or degree.

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

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minimize British  

/ ˈmɪnɪˌmaɪz /

verb

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

   to minimize a risk

2. to rank or treat at less than the true worth; belittle

   to minimize someone's achievements

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• minimization
  noun
• minimizer
  noun
• unminimized
  adjective
• unminimizing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• minimizing
  present
• minimized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• minimize
  simple
• minimizes
  simple
• have minimized
  perfect
• has minimized
  perfect
• am minimizing
  progressive
• are minimizing
  progressive
• is minimizing
  progressive
• have been minimizing
  perfect progressive
• has been minimizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• minimized
  simple
• had minimized
  perfect
• was minimizing
  progressive
• were minimizing
  progressive
• had been minimizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will minimize
  simple
• will have minimized
  perfect
• will be minimizing
  progressive
• will have been minimizing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of minimize

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

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

minimize minimizes minimized minimizing

This is not to minimize deficit and debt considerations; profligate fiscal policies always run the risk of upsetting the bond vigilantes, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 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

You are in the distribution phase of your retirement, so how will he help minimize your tax burden?

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

As a classroom teacher, taking steps to minimize anxiety will help with managing classroom behavior.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

It minimizes your role in your marriage and in your life, and it attempts to put you in a box.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 6, 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

What’s more, by vastly expanding the number of possible applications, the process minimizes the importance of each submission.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

Mathematically, the principle of minimum change minimizes the distance between the joint probability distributions of the initial and updated belief.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2025

Two cultures: one emphasizes the difference between Evidence-Indices and Evidence-Perspicuity; the other minimizes it.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

But it also suggests that viewers are mature enough to absorb the tougher truths omitted from Wilder’s original vision, as well as the roles of others who were minimized, like Sims’ good doctor.

From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026

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

He was, he writes, an “incorrigible satisficer” who minimized small decisions because “searching for the best can only dissipate scarce cognitive resources.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026

Rather than depending on just a few crops that could fail, they minimized risk by developing an economy based on a great variety of wild foods, not all of which were likely to fail simultaneously.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

The U.S. acts to foster life-sciences experiments while minimizing the risk of a pandemic or other catastrophe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

A 2026 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health scientific statement from the American Heart Association recommends minimizing added sugar in foods and beverages.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

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

Gripping with all his strength, Drum faced into the storm, his streamlined body minimizing the wind.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• curtail
• decrease
• diminish
• downplay
• lessen
• play down
• reduce
• trivialize
• underestimate