Minimal

//ˈmɪn.ɪ.məl// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Something very small; a tiny part or fragment.

    "[…] we seek in explaining mental phenomena and behavior always the "minimals," the little fragments of association, on which the mind is (passively) supposed to be based."

Adjective
  1. 1
    The smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree.

    "With minimal effort, you won't be able to achieve all your dreams."

  2. 2
    The smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree.; Among elements of some collection, such that no other element is greater (with respect to some given partial order).

    "With respect to the ordering induced by set-theoretic inclusion, the power set of the set of natural numbers has a unique minimal element: the empty set."

  3. 3
    Characterised by the use of simple form or structures.
  4. 4
    Characterised by the repetition and gradual alteration of short phrases.
Adjective
  1. 1
    the least possible wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
minimumadequateamplebabybaby-sizedbantam

Example

More examples

"Just as water, gas, and electricity are brought into our houses from far off to satisfy our needs in response to a minimal effort, so we shall be supplied with visual or auditory images, which will appear and disappear at a simple movement of the hand, hardly more than a sign."

Etymology

From minimum + -al.

Related phrases

minimal brain dysfunctionminimal change diseaseminimal idealminimal mediumminimal pairminimal polynomialminimal primeminimal recursion semanticsminimal stateminimal surfaceminimal viable productminimal wave

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.