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minimum
[ min-uh-muhm ]
noun
- the least quantity or amount possible, assignable, allowable, or the like.
- the lowest speed permitted on a highway.
- the lowest amount, value, or degree attained or recorded.
- an arbitrary amount set by a restaurant, nightclub, etc., as the least amount to be charged each person for food and drink. Compare cover charge.
- Mathematics.
- Also called relative minimum, the value of a function at a certain point in its domain, which is less than or equal to the values at all other points in the immediate vicinity of the point. Compare absolute minimum.
- the point in the domain at which a minimum occurs.
adjective
- noting or indicating a minimum.
- least possible:
minimum risk.
- lowest:
a minimum rate.
- pertaining to a minimum or minimums.
minimum
/ ˈmɪnɪməm /
noun
- the least possible amount, degree, or quantity
- the least amount recorded, allowed, or reached
the minimum in our temperature record this month was 50°
- modifier being the least possible, recorded, allowed, etc
minimum age
- maths a value of a function that is less than any neighbouring value
adjective
- of or relating to a minimum or minimums
minimum
/ mĭn′ə-məm /
, Plural minimums
- The lowest known or lowest possible number, measure, quantity, or degree.
- The lowest value of a mathematical function, if it has such a value.
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of minimum1
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Example Sentences
The minimum number of staff required to safely run the event will also be present, while everyone else will be asked to work remotely.
At minimum, you may be able to search for “vintage Crate & Barrel tumbler.”
Google requires that your campaign have at least 15 conversions over 30 days for when using Target ROAS to optimize search ads, and there are other minimums for other ad types.
The process has already started with some teams, like in New Orleans, where Drew Brees saved the Saints around $24 million by reducing his salary to the league minimum ahead of his expected retirement.
Michael Reich, a prominent minimum-wage expert at the University of California at Berkeley whose work is cited by the CBO, disputed the report’s more pessimistic estimates.
He was treated like an immigrant, working for minimum wage, missing his family and having to move on from his musical career.
Remove the roast from the pan and let rest for a minimum of 15 minutes.
A gifted marketer, he sent samples of the hat to merchandisers all over the West, asking for a minimum order of a dozen.
To work at Rizzoli you had to be fluent in several languages: three was the minimum when I began.
As a result, the inexperienced can find themselves earning well below minimum wage, or abused by underhanded employers.
The minimum wage law ought to form, in one fashion or another, a part of the code of every community.
This can be done, as with the minimum wage, partly by positive legislation and partly collective action.
That'll give us sixteen dollars and eighty cents for haulin' a minimum car of twenty-four thousand.
It has as yet suffered no loss and is able to restrict its loss to a minimum by limiting the loan to a particular figure.
It has been proved by hydraulic tests that good bricklayers' work can be executed at the latter minimum.
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Related Words
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More About Minimum
What does minimum mean?
Minimum means the lowest amount or level of something.
Minimum can be a noun or an adjective and it has several more specific meanings, all of which are related in some way to its primary meaning. When minimum is used as a noun, its plural can be minimums or, less commonly, minima.
Example: Take the pie out of the oven and let it cool for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.
Where does minimum come from?
The first records of minimum come from the mid-1600s. It comes from the Latin word minimus, meaning “smallest” or “least.”
In general, minimum often refers to the smallest possible amount of something that can satisfy a requirement, as in You need a minimum of 10 years of experience to apply for this position. It can also refer to the lowest amount that has been observed, and it is used in related ways in mathematics.
Minimum is also used in more specific ways. In terms of the speed limit, the minimum is the lowest speed that’s allowed on a certain road, especially a highway where going any slower would be dangerous. Some restaurants and clubs set a minimum on the money charged to each customer, meaning that you have to spend at least that amount. Similarly, many stores set a minimum amount you must spend in order to use a credit card. Minimum-wage workers earn the lowest amount that’s allowed by law or some other agreement.
Minimum is often used in the phrases bare minimum, meaning “the absolute least,” and at a minimum, meaning “at least,” as in At a minimum, we need to get five more done before the end of the day.
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What are some other forms related to minimum?
- minimums (plural)
- minima (plural)
What are some synonyms for minimum?
What are some words that share a root or word element with minimum?
What are some words that often get used in discussing minimum?
How is minimum used in real life?
Minimum is a common word that’s used in all kinds of ways. It always refers to the lowest amount, which can be negative or positive depending on the context.
Proud and humbled to announce that I did the absolute bare minimum today
— debbyryan (@DebbyRyan) March 11, 2019
NYC sidewalks need lanes and a minimum speed limit.
— brandon / jinx / big jinx (@brandonjinx) May 20, 2015
they pay minimum wage and then charge rent at more than 3X what it should be and then tell you the country is doing great economically
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) January 10, 2020
Try using minimum!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of minimum?
A. most
B. lowest
C. least
D. smallest
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