minimisation
part of speech
noun (minimisation, uncountable); US spelling «minimization»
meaning for a pupil
1) Making something as small as possible: «the minimisation of waste». tree →
2) (maths) Finding the smallest possible value of something under some rules. tree →
3) Making a problem seem less serious than it really is: «minimisation of bullying is harmful». tree →
sense in the lessons
In maths, minimisation problems ask for the smallest cost, distance or time: for example, the shortest path on a map. In science and the environment, «waste minimisation» means producing less rubbish. In safety and wellbeing, minimising a problem (saying «it's nothing» when someone is hurt) can stop people getting help. Phrases: «waste minimisation», «risk minimisation».
examples
- The school has a waste minimisation plan. tree →
- Risk minimisation means wearing a helmet when cycling. tree →
- The maths puzzle was about minimisation of the travel distance. tree →
- Minimisation of costs helped the club save money. tree →
- Saying «it's just teasing» can be a minimisation of bullying. tree →
- Engineers work on the minimisation of energy use. tree →
- Minimisation and maximisation are both kinds of optimisation. tree →
- The minimisation of plastic packaging is good for the oceans. tree →
note
Uncountable. UK/Australia/NZ «minimisation», US/Canada «minimization». Verb: minimise/minimize. In maths, minimisation means finding the least value allowed by the rules – not always zero.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «minimisation» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.