marginal, minor, negligible, minimal

形容詞 minimal:

1. the least possible
   同義詞：minimum

1. Singapore, the world the minimal and one of the most advanced nation, celebrated the nation independent of30 anniversaries in last week.
   新加坡，這個世界上最小也是最發(fā)達的國家之一，上周慶祝國家獨立三十周年。
2. We stayed with friends, so our expenses were minimal.
   我們住在朋友家，所以我們的花費很小。

min.i.mal

adj.（形容詞）

Smallest in amount or degree.
最小的：在程度和數(shù)量上最小的
Small in amount or degree.
小的，少的：在數(shù)量或程度上少的
Only barely adequate.
僅僅剛夠的
Often Minimal Of, relating to, or being minimalism.
常作 Minimal 極簡抽象主義的：與極簡抽象主義有關(guān)的或極簡抽象主義的

【引伸】
min.imal.ity
min.imally
adv.（副詞）
Etymologically,minimal is properly used to refer to the smallest possible amount, as inThe amplifier reduces distortion to the minimal level that can be obtained with present technologies. In recent years, however,the word has come to be used to refer simply to a small amount,as inIf you would just put in a minimal amount of time on your homework, I am sure your grades would improve. Critics have often objected to this extension,but it appears to be well established.To determine the acceptability of the newer use,we presented the Usage Panel with the sentence
從詞源學(xué)上來說，minimal 應(yīng)被正確地用來指最小的可能數(shù)量， 如在這臺擴大器能將失真減至為當(dāng)前技術(shù)水平所有達到的最低限度內(nèi) 。 但是近幾年來，此詞已被用來表示一個較少的數(shù)量，如在假如你在家庭作業(yè)上花上一點時間的話，我敢肯定你的成績會變好的 一句中。 批評家們經(jīng)常反對這種延伸，但這似乎已被廣泛接受。為確定這種較新用法的被接受程度，我們以下句進行了用法調(diào)查
例句：
Alcohol has a particularly unpleasant effect on me when I have a minimal amount of food in my stomach.
當(dāng)我的胃中只有極少量食物時，喝酒就會搞得我非常難受。

Under the strict interpretation ofminimal, this sentence should mean only .Alcohol has an unpleasant effect when I have eaten nothing..If the looser interpretation is allowed, however,the sentence can also mean . . . . when I have eaten a bit..Presented with the sentence, 29 percent of the Usage Panel said that it could have only the .eaten nothing. (that is, the strict) interpretation;34 percent said that it could have only the .eaten a bit. (that is, the looser) interpretation;and 37 percent said that it could have either meaning.Thus the looser sense ofminimal is accepted by 7 percent of the Panel and must be considered acceptable in nontechnical use. · In an analogous shift,the verbminimize is often used to mean .to reduce,. an extension of its strict etymological sense of .to reduce to the smallest possible level..This looser usage is the result of the imprecision that usually attaches to the use of the verb in most nontechnical contexts.When a manager announces thatThe company wants to minimize the risk of accidents to line workers, we naturally interpret the manager as meaning that the risk is to be reduced to the smallest level consistent with considerations of efficiency and cost,not that risks are to be reduced to the lowest level logically possible.Even when used with allowable imprecision, however, the verbminimize should carry some implication that the relevant quantity is reduced as much as could reasonably be expected in the circumstances.Thusminimize retains at least an approximately superlative sense and so is inconsistent with modification by adverbs such asgreatly or considerably, which imply that the verb is being used as a simple synonym forlessen or reduce.
若句中的minimal 的意思比較嚴格， 那么這一句就只能理解為.當(dāng)我什么沒吃時喝酒會搞得我很難受。.但是如果比較寬泛的詞義得到承認，那么這一句同時也有.…當(dāng)我吃過一點東西時.這層意思。百分之二十九的用法專題使用小組成員認為這一詞只能當(dāng).什么都不吃.（即嚴格意義上的詞義）來講；百分之三十四的成員說它只有.吃過一點.（即寬泛一些的）詞義；百分之三十七的成員說兩種含義都可適用。所以minimal 寬泛的含義被用法專題使用小組的百分之七十一的成員接受。 與其相類似的是，動詞minimize 經(jīng)常被用來指.減少.， 是其.減少到最可能小的水平.的嚴格意義上的延伸。這一較寬泛的含義是非技術(shù)性文章使用這一動詞的不精確性而帶來的結(jié)果。當(dāng)一個經(jīng)理宣稱公司試圖將生產(chǎn)線上工人面臨出事故的風(fēng)險降至最低， 我們自然會認為經(jīng)理的意思是工廠的事故風(fēng)險將被降至一個同時又考慮效率和成本的最小程度，而不是邏輯上可以達到的最低程度。即使在可以允許不精確的程度內(nèi)使用時，動詞mininize 也應(yīng)有一層隱含的意思， 即其相對數(shù)量已被減少到了情況所期望的合理的程度。這樣，minimize 至少仍然保留著一種大致為最高級的意思， 因而它與這些副詞如greatly 或 considerably 不能搭配使用， 因為這些副詞暗示著這一動詞被當(dāng)成了lessen 或 reduce 簡單同義詞而使用