min ‧ i ‧ mize AC BrE AmE ( also minimise British English ) /ˈmɪnəmaɪz, ˈmɪnɪmaɪz/ verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ minimum , ↑ minimalism , ↑ minimalist ; adjective : ↑ minimal , ↑ minimum , ↑ minimalist ; adverb : ↑ minimally , ↑ minimum ; verb : ↑ minimize ]
1 . to reduce something that is difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant to the smallest possible amount or degree OPP maximize :
Every effort is being made to minimize civilian casualties.
The rail company is bringing in more trains in an effort to minimize disruption to travellers.
2 . to make something seem less serious or important than it really is SYN play down :
We must not minimize the problem of racial discrimination.
3 . to make a document or program on your computer very small when you are not using it but still want to keep it open OPP maximize :
Click on the top of the window to minimize it.