minimum
minimum Lexical Profile
minimum Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Smallest or lowest in amount, extent, or degree possible, allowable, or required.
"All applicants must meet the minimum requirements to be considered for the scholarship."
• noun
The least or smallest amount, quantity, or degree possible, attainable, or required.
"We tried to keep our travel expenses to a minimum during the conference."
In mathematics, the value of a function at a point where it is less than or equal to the values at all nearby points, or the lowest value across an entire domain.
"By setting the first derivative equal to zero, the students found the local minimum of the curve."
Word Nuance & Usage
As an adjective, 'minimum' typically refers to an exact, measurable lower limit or legal threshold (e.g., 'minimum wage'), whereas 'minimal' means very small or negligible in amount or degree (e.g., 'minimal effort'). Both 'minimums' and 'minima' are standard plural forms, with 'minima' preferred in mathematics and physical sciences.
• Rhymes for minimum
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century directly from Latin 'minimum', the neuter singular of 'minimus' ('smallest' or 'least'), which serves as the superlative of 'parvus' ('small').