the smallest possible quantity
"The manager insisted on a minimum of five volunteers for the weekend cleanup event."
the point on a curve where the tangent changes from negative on the left to positive on the right
"The calculus professor explained that at the minimum, the slope of the graph shifts from falling before it starts rising afterward."
The lowest limit.
"The manager stated that a minimum of ten applicants were required to form a new committee."
In plain English: A minimum is the smallest possible amount allowed or needed for something to happen.
"The minimum age to rent a car is twenty-one."
Usage: Use "minimum" as a noun to refer to the smallest possible amount or degree allowed by rules or conditions. It often appears in phrases like "the minimum wage" or "a minimum of five people."
To the lowest degree.
"Even if you are just passing by, please leave a minimum of good wishes for everyone on your way out."
In plain English: Minimum means the smallest possible amount or lowest level of something.
"The minimum age to vote is eighteen."
Usage: Use "minimum" before a noun to indicate the smallest possible amount or degree required, such as in "a minimum wage." Avoid using it after a noun when you mean the least amount, which is typically expressed with phrases like "the least."
The word minimum comes from Latin, where it was the neuter form of minimus meaning "least" or "smallest." It entered English as a learned borrowing.