minimum
noun
min·i·mum
| \ ˈmi-nə-məm
\
\
plural minima\ ˈmi-nə-mə
\
or minimums
\
or minimums
Definition of minimum
1
: the least quantity assignable, admissible, or possible
Keep expenses to a bare minimum. He was sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison.
2
: the least of a set of numbers
specifically
: the smallest value assumed by a continuous (see continuous sense 2) function defined on a closed (see closed sense 2b) interval
3a
: the lowest degree or amount of variation (as of temperature) reached or recorded
b
: the lowest speed allowed on a highway
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Examples of minimum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The minimum bid for the silent auction will be $4,000, said Cade. — Karen Zurawski, Houston Chronicle, "Home & Garden Show features She Shed," 4 Sep. 2019 Starting teacher salaries in Chicago-area districts are mostly well above that minimum. — Hannah Leone, chicagotribune.com, "As students return for a new school year, new education-related laws hit the books," 3 Sep. 2019 Before this season, mound visits were reduced to five, and innings breaks in most games to two minutes, with commissioner Rob Manfred set to unilaterally impose a three-batter minimum on relievers in 2020. — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "MLB's efforts to speed up play run into reality of modern game: 'It's not going to happen'," 3 Sep. 2019 Manaea faced the minimum through the first four, allowing only an infield single and then getting Gleyber Torres to ground into a double play. — Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, "Manaea superb in first start since surgery, but A’s fall to Yankees," 1 Sep. 2019 That’s much less than the average $125-a-month benefit for households with seniors, but more than the $16 minimum that one in five such households get. — Laura Ungar & Trudy Lieberman / Kaiser Health News, Time, "Why America Is Failing To Feed Its Aging," 28 Aug. 2019 Many people earning wages at or near the minimum are highly skilled. — Matt Darling, Quartz at Work, "Ready to destroy a longstanding argument against raising the minimum wage?," 28 Aug. 2019 During solar minimum, more cosmic rays can reach the strong magnetic field near the sun’s surface and get mirrored, instead of being deflected prematurely by the turbulent tangle of field lines that pervades the inner solar system at other times. — Quanta Magazine, "The Sun Is Stranger Than Astrophysicists Imagined," 27 Aug. 2019 Hirano, who is eligible to return as early as Tuesday, still is not expected to miss much beyond the minimum 10 days, manager Torey Lovullo said. — Nick Piecoro, azcentral, "Arizona Diamondbacks' rotation falling short without Zack Greinke," 23 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'minimum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for minimum
minimum
noun
English Language Learners Definition of minimum
: the lowest number or amount that is possible or allowed
See the full definition for minimum in the English Language Learners Dictionary
minimum
noun
min·i·mum
| \ ˈmi-nə-məm
\
\
plural minimums
or minima\ -mə \
Kids Definition of minimum
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the lowest value : the least amount
I need a minimum of two hours.
minimum
adjectiveKids Definition of minimum (Entry 2 of 2)
: being the least or lowest possible
The minimum height for this ride is 42 inches.
minimum
noun
min·i·mum
| \ ˈmin-ə-məm
\
\
plural minima\ -ə-mə
\
or minimums
\
or minimums
Medical Definition of minimum
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: the least quantity assignable, admissible, or possible
2
: the lowest degree or amount of variation (as of temperature) reached or recorded
minimum
adjectiveMedical Definition of minimum (Entry 2 of 2)
: of, relating to, or constituting a minimum
meet the minimum psychiatric needs of the country— E. A. Strecker establishing minimum standards for medical education — CIBA Symposia
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