Standard Lemma guide

minimal

adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈmɪn.ɪ.məl/
  • General-American: /ˈmɪn.ə.məl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M IH1 N AH0 M AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

The smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • With minimal effort, you won't be able to achieve all your dreams.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: minimum

Antonyms: maximal

2

adj

Meaning 2

The smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree.

Among elements of some collection, such that no other element is greater (with respect to some given partial order).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences, technical

Examples

  • With respect to the ordering induced by set-theoretic inclusion, the power set of the set of natural numbers has a unique minimal element: the empty set.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: minimum

Antonyms: maximal

3

adj

Meaning 3

Characterised by the use of simple form or structures.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: art, arts

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Characterised by the repetition and gradual alteration of short phrases.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Something very small; a tiny part or fragment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

the least possible

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • needed to enforce minimal standards
  • her grades were minimal
  • minimum wage
  • a minimal charge for the service

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: minimum

Antonyms: maximal

History

Etymology

From minimum + -al.

Across languages

Translations

61 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: նվազագույն (nvazaguyn) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Armenian: մինիմալ (minimal) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Asturian: mínimu — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Belarusian: мініма́льны (minimálʹny) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Bulgarian: минимален (minimalen) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Bulgarian: най-малък (naj-malǎk) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Catalan: mínim — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Czech: minimální — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Danish: minimal — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Dutch: minimaal — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Esperanto: minimuma — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Finnish: minimaalinen — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Finnish: mahdollisimman pieni — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • French: minimum — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Galician: mínimo — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • German: minimal — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Hindi: न्यूनतम (nyūntam) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Hungarian: minimális — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Irish: íosta — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Italian: minimo — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Italian: minimale — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Japanese: 最小 (saishō) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Japanese: 最低 (saitei) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Kazakh: ең аз (eñ az) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Kazakh: минималды (minimaldy) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Kazakh: ең төменгі (eñ tömeñı) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Polish: minimalny — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Portuguese: mínimo — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Portuguese: mínima — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Portuguese: mínimos — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Portuguese: mínimas — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Romanian: minimal — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Russian: минима́льный (minimálʹnyj) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Slovak: minimálna — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Slovak: minimálny — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Slovak: minimálne — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Spanish: mínimo — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Swedish: minimal — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Turkish: asgari — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Turkish: en az — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Turkish: en düşük — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Ottoman Turkish: قورو (kuru) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Ukrainian: мініма́льний (minimálʹnyj) — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Volapük: minumik — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Welsh: minimol — the smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree
  • Armenian: մինիմալիստ (minimalist) — art: characterised by the use of simple form or structures
  • Armenian: նվազապաշտ (nvazapašt) — art: characterised by the use of simple form or structures
  • Catalan: minimalista — art: characterised by the use of simple form or structures
  • Dutch: minimalistische — art: characterised by the use of simple form or structures
  • Finnish: minimaalinen — art: characterised by the use of simple form or structures
  • Finnish: pelkistetty — art: characterised by the use of simple form or structures
  • French: minimaliste — art: characterised by the use of simple form or structures
  • Portuguese: minimalista — art: characterised by the use of simple form or structures
  • Portuguese: minimal — art: characterised by the use of simple form or structures
  • Russian: минималистичный (minimalističnyj) — art: characterised by the use of simple form or structures
  • Spanish: minimalista — art: characterised by the use of simple form or structures
  • Swedish: minimalistisk — art: characterised by the use of simple form or structures
  • Dutch: minimalistisch — music: characterised by the repetition and gradual alteration of short phrases
  • Finnish: minimaalinen — music: characterised by the repetition and gradual alteration of short phrases
  • French: minimaliste — music: characterised by the repetition and gradual alteration of short phrases
  • Spanish: minimalista — music: characterised by the repetition and gradual alteration of short phrases
Real reading context

minimal in complete knowledge articles