Minimalization

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act or process of making something as small or as limited as possible
2. The process of decreasing or limiting something to its smallest amount or degree
3. A procedure that involves reducing something to its minimal size, extent, or importance

Etymology: "Minimalization" is a plain formation: "minimal" with the suffix "-ization," which turns an adjective into a noun for the process of making something into that adjective. "Minimal" itself comes from Latin "minimus," meaning "smallest," the superlative of "parvus," "small." The suffix "-ize" (in its British spelling "-ise") goes back to Greek "-izein," used to form verbs meaning "to make or treat in a certain way," and "-ation" carries the sense of an action or process. Put together, the word describes the act of reducing something toward its smallest workable form, whether a budget, a government, or an argument. Its formation follows a pattern common in English, so the word is best understood as a transparent compound of its parts rather than one with a dramatic history of its own.

Synonyms: reduction, diminution, lessening, minimization, decrease

Antonyms: maximization, increase, expansion, augmentation, amplification