minimize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to reduce to the smallest possible amount or degree.
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to represent at the lowest possible amount, value, importance, influence, etc., especially in a disparaging way; belittle.
verb
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to reduce to or estimate at the least possible degree or amount
to minimize a risk
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to rank or treat at less than the true worth; belittle
to minimize someone's achievements
Other Word Forms
- minimization noun
- minimizer noun
- unminimized adjective
- unminimizing adjective
Etymology
Origin of minimize
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Both CalPERS and CalSTRS said that investment portfolios seek to minimize risk and maximize returns.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
Some take on risky self-directed investments, while others are forced to minimize their retirement savings until they pay off other obligations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
We used the period from November 2023 through mid-August 2025 to minimize undercounting at the start and end of our detention dataset.
From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026
Otherwise, the system creates incentives for regulatory arbitrage, in which firms migrate toward structures that minimize governmental oversight of risks.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026
He even managed to minimize the inconvenience, finding a class ten minutes from his country house.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
