2020-11-05
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด M - minimal & minimum
การใช้ภาษาอังกฤษ ที่ถือว่า ถูกต้องนี้ เป็นไปตามมาตรฐานการใช้ภาษา
การใช้คำอังกฤษ ไม่กำหนดมาตฐาน ถือตามส่วนใหญ่ที่ใช้แต่ละท้องถิ่น
ความหมาย อาจยืดหยุ่น ขึ้นอยู่กับ ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค
Dictionary.com
ออกเสียง minimal = ‘MIN=uh-muhl’
ออกเสียง minimum = ‘MIN-uh-muhm’
Dictionary.com
VOCAB BUILDER
What does minimum mean?
Minimum means the lowest amount or level of something.
Minimum can be a noun or an adjective
and it has several more specific meanings,
all of which are related in some way to its primary meaning.
When minimum is used as a noun,
its plural can be minimums or, less commonly, minima.
Example: Take the pie out of the oven and let it cool for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.
Where does minimum come from?
The first records of minimum come from the mid-1600s. It comes from the Latin word minimus, meaning “smallest” or “least.”
In general, minimum often refers to the smallest possible amount of something that can satisfy a requirement,
as in You need a minimum of 10 years of experience to apply for this position.
It can also refer to the lowest amount that has been observed, and it is used in related ways in mathematics.
Minimum is also used in more specific ways.
In terms of the speed limit, the minimum is the lowest speed that’s allowed on a certain road,
especially a highway where going any slower would be dangerous.
Some restaurants and clubs set a minimum on the money charged to each customer, meaning that you have to spend at least that amount.
Similarly, many stores set a minimum amount you must spend in order to use a credit card.
Minimum-wage workers earn the lowest amount that’s allowed by law or some other agreement.
Minimum is often used in the phrases bare minimum,
meaning “the absolute least,” and at a minimum, meaning “at least,”
as in At a minimum, we need to get five more done before the end of the day.
Dictionary of Problem Words and Expression
minimal & minimum
Minimal is an adjective meaning “smallest,” “least possible”:
“He secured a loan at a minimal rate of interest.”
Minimum is primarily a noun meaning “the least quantity of amount possible”
(Jack expended a minimum of time on studying), but is also used as an adjective with the same meaning as minimal:
“This is a minimum risk.”
Neither minimal nor minimum means “just a little” or “not much”;
both mean “the least possible.”
In adjectival use, careful speakers prefer minimal to minimum.
