Words / B1

MIN-im-uh-m/ˈmɪnɪməm/

Minimum is the least allowed or possible: the minimum wage; a minimum of two years; minimum age. Maximum is the opposite. Min is informal. A minimum of + number. Do not write “minimum two of years”. National Minimum Wage / National Living Wage are UK news staples.

Meaning

As small as possible; the least allowed.

Examples

• “The minimum wage rose again in April.”
• “The job needs a minimum of six months’ experience.”
• “Overnight staff must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage.”

Good to know

the minimum + noun; a minimum of + number. Opposite: maximum. UK: National Minimum Wage. Not “minimum two of years”.

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