minimal

adjective min·i·mal \ ˈmi-nə-məl \

Definition of minimal

1 :relating to or being a minimum: such as

a :the least possible

a victory won with minimal loss of life

b :barely adequate

a minimal standard of living

c :very small or slight

a minimal interest in art

2 often capitalized :of, relating to, or being minimal art or minimalism

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minimally

play \-mə-lē\ adverb

See minimal defined for English-language learners

See minimal defined for kids

Examples of minimal in a Sentence

The storm caused minimal damage.
areas at minimal risk for flooding

Recent Examples of minimal from the Web

Doctors told Meredith on Tuesday that while the ACL in the knee is torn and will require replacement, other damage is minimal.

— brad biggs, chicagotribune.com, "Bears receiver Cameron Meredith receives good news on injured knee," 30 Aug. 2017
But since the anecdotal setup for this number had been minimal, some theatergoers seemed truly rattled and confused, especially with the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., still fresh in the memory.

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: A Prince’s Broadway Kingdom is Scattered to the Winds," 24 Aug. 2017
While that might sound like a lot, the Department of Health already determined that at other parks with higher concentrations of arsenic, the potential health risk was minimal.

— kyra gurney, miamiherald, "County found toxic soil at park, but decided it wasn’t bad enough to tell residents," 14 Aug. 2017
La Crescenta-Montrose and Altadena, Bortle class 6-7 Nestled up against the foothills, the La Crescenta-Montrose and Altadena areas offer minimal suburban light and decent views.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "6 Not-So-Far-Out Spots to Catch Some Extra-Terrestrial Fireworks," 4 Aug. 2017
Although the differences between Hutu and Tutsi were minimal — height, nose shape, complexion — a history of favoritism instilled by European influences was enough to turn friends and neighbors against each other.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Vickroy: From the ashes of Rwanda's genocide rises a phoenix of forgiveness," 28 July 2017
But White House officials suggested the New York businessman with only minimal ties to the Republican establishment was really hired as a glorified television surrogate, assigned to win over audiences on the cable shows Trump watches religiously. ‘

— justin sink, Bloomberg.com, "‘The Mooch’ Charms in White House Debut But Challenges Await," 21 July 2017
At that point, her screen credits were minimal, her work mostly onstage.

— tufayel ahmed, MSNBC Newsweek, "'Game of Thrones': What's Next for Westeros, Gwendoline Christie and Her Empowering Brienne of Tarth," 10 July 2017
The store itself is minimal, and lines are key: Smooth birch panels form the ceiling, and large stone tiles cover the floor.

— katherine bernard, New York Times, "Shopping Without Instagram: It’s Full of Surprises," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'minimal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.