minimize

[ min-uh-mahyz ]
See synonyms for: minimizeminimizedminimizingminimization on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),min·i·mized, min·i·miz·ing.
  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.

Origin of minimize

1
First recorded in 1795–1805; minim(um) + -ize
  • Also especially British, min·i·mise .

Other words from minimize

  • min·i·mi·za·tion, noun
  • min·i·miz·er, noun
  • un·min·i·mized, adjective
  • un·min·i·miz·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use minimize in a sentence

  • There is a concerted effort to minimise 'fuss' on the part of the queen surrounding her hospitalisation.

    How Sick Is The Queen? | Tom Sykes | March 4, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • An attempt to minimise misconceptions is made by suggesting alternative renderings in the Index.

    The Oldest Code of Laws in the World | Hammurabi, King of Babylon
  • He tries to minimise the evidence, remarking that Isocrates promises the very same rewards to all who live justly and righteously.

  • Now, Tennyson seems to have done everything in his power to minimise the repulsiveness of the character.

    The English Stage | Augustin Filon
  • It would be as great a mistake to minimise the fighting military strength of the Taepings as it would be to exaggerate it.

    The Life of Gordon, Volume I | Demetrius Charles Boulger
  • His leading principle may be described in one word as 'responsibility,' or expressed in his leading rule, 'Minimise Confidence.'

British Dictionary definitions for minimize

minimize

minimise

/ (ˈmɪnɪˌmaɪz) /


verb(tr)
  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

Derived forms of minimize

  • minimization or minimisation, noun
  • minimizer or minimiser, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012