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Strictly speaking, minimal means "smallest or least possible," just as minimize means "to reduce something to the lowest possible amount or degree." Often, however, these words are used more generally: a minimal amount of noise may simply be the least amount of acceptable or possible noise, rather than none at all. If the word is to retain any sense of being a superlative, it should not be used with modifiers such as rather, somewhat, and slightly. Small, limited, reduced, and as little as possible are all suitable alternatives to overextending minimal; and diminish, lessen, and reduce do the job that minimize is sometimes inappropriately asked to do.
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