MINIMIZE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does minimize mean? 

• MINIMIZE (verb)
  The verb MINIMIZE has 3 senses:

1. make small or insignificant

2. represent as less significant or important

3. cause to seem less serious; play down

  Familiarity information: MINIMIZE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MINIMIZE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they minimize    ... he / she / it minimizes   
Past simple: minimized   
Past participle: minimized   
-ing form: minimizing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make small or insignificant

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

minimise; minimize

Context example:

Let's minimize the risk

Hypernyms (to "minimize" is one way to...):

decrease; lessen; minify (make smaller)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "minimize"):

hedge (minimize loss or risk)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Antonym:

maximize (make as big or large as possible)

Derivation:

minimization (the act of reducing something to the least possible amount or degree or position)

minimum (the smallest possible quantity)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Represent as less significant or important

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

downplay; minimise; minimize; understate

Hypernyms (to "minimize" is one way to...):

inform (impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "minimize"):

trivialise; trivialize (make trivial or insignificant)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

minimization (the act of reducing something to the least possible amount or degree or position)

minimum (the smallest possible quantity)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cause to seem less serious; play down

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

belittle; denigrate; derogate; minimize

Context example:

Don't belittle his influence

Hypernyms (to "minimize" is one way to...):

belittle; disparage; pick at (express a negative opinion of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "minimize"):

talk down (belittle through talk)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

minimization (the act of reducing something to the least possible amount or degree or position)

minimum (the smallest possible quantity)

 Context examples 

Topical administration of SHP-141 allows for high concentrations of this agent locally while minimizing systemic toxicity.

(HDAC Inhibitor SHP-141, NCI Thesaurus)

If you have a chronic condition, you should talk to your health care provider about how to minimize your risk before you get pregnant.

(Health Problems in Pregnancy, NIH)

To minimize the risk of colorectal cancer, adults should start getting screened for these tumors at age 45.

(Eating Yogurt May Lower Risk of Colon Cancer in Men, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Compared to systemic administration, the intratumoral injection of fluorouracil combined with epinephrine may increase fluorouracil's chemotherapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity.

(Fluorouracil-E Therapeutic Implant, NCI Thesaurus)

A laboratory procedure where the gene encoding a therapeutic recombinant protein is manipulated to minimize the immunogenicity of the protein.

(Deimmunization, NCI Thesaurus)

A stimulus causing an organism to behave so as to minimize exposure to it (as in negative reinforcement or punishment procedures).

(Aversive Stimulus, NCI Thesaurus)

To minimize risk, tell you of your health care providers about any antioxidants you use.

(Antioxidants, NIH: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

“At least, we may take counsel how far we can minimize this hideous scandal.”

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A team at the University of Southern California studied diets designed to mimic the beneficial effects of fasting while minimizing the risks and difficulty associated with complete food restriction.

(Health Effects of a Diet that Mimics Fasting, NIH)

"Of course, it is still important to minimize our exposure to air pollution, which is linked to a host of adverse health effects from cancer to cardiovascular disease."

(Aspirin Could Cut Air Pollution Harms, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)