Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To reduce to the smallest possible amount, extent, size, or degree.
- transitive verb To represent as having the least degree of importance, value, or size.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To reduce to a minimum, or to the lowest terms or proportions; make as little or slight as possible; also, to depreciate; treat slightingly: as, to
minimize the chances of war. Also spelledminimise .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To reduce to the smallest part or proportion possible; to reduce to a minimum.
- transitive verb To represent, to oneself or others, as of no importance or minimal importance or effect; to belittle or disarage.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive To make (something) as
small or asinsignificant as possible. - verb computing, transitive, graphical user interface To remove (a
window ) from the main display area, collapsing it to anicon orcaption .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb represent as less significant or important
- verb cause to seem less serious; play down
- verb make small or insignificant
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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"reasons to be pretty" (yes, the title is annoyingly lower case) deals with Greg's four-year involvement with Steph, and what happens after a friend of hers overhears Greg disparage - or is it "minimize" - Steph's looks during some dude talk with his buddy Kent.
JAM! Showbiz 2009
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In his comments on the call, Mr. Eisman said he didn't intend to "minimize" the current management's efforts to help the company survive the financial crisis.
Hedge-Fund Manager Eisman Challenges Genworth Erik Holm 2010
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All of that they tried to kind of minimize today, move beyond today and, at the end of the day, come up with a united front.
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The Obama plan also calls for regulators to "minimize" the ability of banks to use highly-rated securities to reduce their capital requirements when they have not actually reduced their risks.
A Triple-A Punt 2009
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Or is he perhaps concerned that these marriages will somehow "minimize" the traditional importance of men and women marrying, and raising a family?
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They seriously think Obama can "minimize" the issue of race if only Jeremiah Wright will shut the hell up!
Hullabaloo 2008
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She's not said she's going to do that and I think everybody talking about her doing that is really just an attempt to kind of minimize the credibility of what she is saying today and tomorrow.
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It'll be a great time to be a muckraker, too -- but the Wall Streeters, having written the rules that require them only to "minimize" their conflicts of interest, will just shrug off the criticism.
James Pinkerton: Wall Street Journal Confirms: Yes, It's a Wall Street Bailout 2008
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The Department of Treasury will do everything it can to "minimize" conflicts of interest.
James Pinkerton: Wall Street Journal Confirms: Yes, It's a Wall Street Bailout 2008
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Comp time is a staple in this industry, but EA as a corporation wishes to "minimize" this reprieve.
Archive 2004-11-01 2004
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