English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Latin minimus +‎ -ize.[1]

Pronunciation

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Verb

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minimize (third-person singular simple present minimizes, present participle minimizing, simple past and past participle minimized)

  1. (transitive) To make (something) smaller or as small as possible; shrink; reduce.
    We have to minimize the budget.
    Try to minimize your biases.
  2. (transitive) To relegate or assign (something) to a less insignificant status; diminish.
    The insurance adjuster tried to minimize the extent of the damage to lessen the company's exposure to liability.
  3. (computing, transitive, graphical user interface) To remove (a window) from the main display area, collapsing it to an icon or caption.
    I didn't close anything, but I minimized all the windows so I could see the desktop.
  4. (transitive) To treat (someone) in a slighting manner.
    • 1993, Jan McDaniel, One Golden Summer, page 95:
      [] father who had never openly minimized him or anything he did []

Translations

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References

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  1. ^ minimize, v.”, in OED Online  , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Portuguese

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Verb

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minimize

  1. inflection of minimizar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative