minimally

minimally — adverb

1. used for saying that something happens or is done to a very small degree, or tha

1.adverbB2
Definition

used for saying that something happens or is done to a very small degree, or that as little effort or content as possible is put into it.

Example

The surgeon said the operation would be only minimally invasive, with a short recovery time.

collocation: minimally invasive (medical context)

Priya's grades were minimally affected by her move to a new school mid-term.

passive: minimally affected by [something]

Common collocations
  • minimally invasive
  • minimally processed
  • minimally affected
  • minimally involved
  • minimally damaged
  • minimally changed
  • minimally altered
Synonyms
  • slightly

    More common in everyday speech; 'slightly' focuses on small degree without emphasizing the 'least possible' nuance.

  • marginally

    Highly formal; emphasizes that a difference is just enough to be noticed, often used in business or statistics.

  • barely

    Carries a negative nuance of 'only just' and often implies difficulty or insufficiency.

Antonyms
  • maximally

    Direct opposite; to the greatest possible degree or extent.

  • significantly

    To a large or important degree; much more common than 'maximally' in everyday use.

Grammar Patterns

minimally + adjective (e.g. minimally invasive)

minimally + past participle (e.g. minimally affected)

verb + minimally (e.g. changed minimally)

Usage Note

Minimally is most common in formal, academic, medical, and technical writing. In everyday conversation, words like 'slightly' or 'barely' are often preferred, though the set phrase 'minimally invasive' appears frequently in patient-facing medical communication.

Common Mistakes

The surgery was minimum invasive.
The surgery was minimally invasive.
'Minimally' (adverb) is needed to modify the adjective 'invasive'; 'minimum' is a noun or adjective and cannot serve this role.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words describe a small degree, but they differ in register, connotation, and typical context. 'Minimally' carries a precise, formal tone and often suggests something has been reduced to the smallest possible level — used heavily in medical and technical writing ('minimally invasive surgery', 'minimally processed food'). 'Slightly' is the most neutral and common across all contexts, from casual chat to formal reports, without implying a 'lowest possible' floor. 'Marginally' is very formal and almost exclusively used for measurable differences in data, budgets, or rankings ('sales increased marginally'). 'Barely' differs in that it carries a negative or limiting tone — it means 'only just' and often implies difficulty or insufficiency ('the team barely survived the first round'). In casual speech, 'slightly' fits most situations; in formal writing, choose 'minimally' when emphasizing reduction to a minimum, and 'marginally' when comparing small numerical differences.

slightly ↗marginally ↗barely ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • minimally invasive surgery
  • minimally processed foods
  • minimally invasive procedure

Adverbs

  • only minimally
  • very minimally
  • relatively minimally

Phrases

  • minimally to moderately
  • at best minimally

Prepositions

  • minimally affected by
  • minimally involved in

Etymology

LatinLate LatinEnglish

Minimally comes from 'minimal' (meaning 'the smallest possible') plus the adverb-forming suffix '-ly'. 'Minimal' itself traces back to Latin 'minimus', meaning 'smallest' or 'least', the superlative form of 'parvus' (small). The word entered English through Late Latin 'minimalis' and was first recorded as an adjective in the 1660s, with the adverbial form 'minimally' appearing in the mid-1800s.