a minimal improvement

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a minimal improvement" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a small or slight enhancement in a situation, process, or performance. Example: "After implementing the new strategy, we noticed a minimal improvement in our sales figures."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

But as usual, people hoping for reform out of Albany are trapped with a choice between embracing the possibility for a minimal improvement or continuing to push for something that at least constitutes modest reform.

The New York Times

The legislation, scheduled to be considered today by the House Financial Services Committee, does not meet the requirement and is only a minimal improvement over existing regulation, said Wayne Abernathy, the Treasury Department's assistant secretary for financial institutions.

The New York Times

Here, only a minimal improvement compared to Table 2 could be observed.

Brain Informatics

This represents only a minimal improvement in preparedness levels among those participating in hazard response planning and implementation professionally.

Journal of Applied Volcanology

Spiral inserts are shown to offer a minimal improvement in thermoelectric power production whereas inserts with protruding panels are shown to be the most effective.

Energy Conversion and Management

Lidar-derived structural variables provided no improvement to prediction of the first NMDS axis estimates, and a minimal improvement (3% more variance explained) on NMDS2.

Remote Sensing of Environment

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

More importantly, the results demonstrated that going beyond a threshold of minimal improvement in a clinical endpoint was associated with incremental improvements in HRQoL, physical function and fatigue beyond what would be considered to represent MID.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Using the proportion of people who report an improvement of more than 0.05 AQoL utility units as an outcome, a sample size of 600 (300 participants in each group) will provide sufficient power to detect an additional 10% of participants in the intervention group reporting a minimal important improvement (assuming 30% of control group who report improvement, beta = 0.80, alpha = 0.05, two-tailed).

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

As support vector regression (SVR) yields minimal improvement despite a two-order-of-magnitude increase in required CPU time, only log-linear regression is applied throughout the remainder of this study.

Epigenetics and Chromatin

Soon, the Philippines would become a victim of one of the most expensive electricity rates in Asia, a highly deregulated energy market, and minimal improvement in the nation-wide infrastructure landscape.

Huffington Post

17% showed a deteriorating course and 28% only minimal improvement.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a minimal improvement", ensure the context clearly indicates what is being improved and why the improvement is considered minimal. This helps avoid ambiguity and provides a more precise understanding.

Common error

Avoid using "a minimal improvement" when the actual change is substantial. Using it to describe significant progress can mislead readers and undermine the impact of the improvement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a minimal improvement" functions as a noun phrase that typically acts as a subject, object, or complement in a sentence. It quantifies the degree of enhancement, indicating that the improvement is small or slight. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is commonly used.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

58%

News & Media

21%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a minimal improvement" is a useful descriptor for acknowledging small positive changes without overstating their impact. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and widely used across various fields, particularly in scientific and news contexts. When using this phrase, clarity is crucial; specifying what exactly has improved and why it's considered minimal ensures effective communication. While alternatives like "a slight advance" or "a marginal gain" exist, "a minimal improvement" offers a balanced and precise way to describe modest progress.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a small degree of progress

Directly states the limited extent of advancement.

a slight advance

Emphasizes the small degree of forward movement or progress.

a marginal gain

Highlights the small benefit or advantage achieved.

an incremental change

Highlights that the improvement is one of many small steps.

a modest step forward

Indicates a small but positive movement in a particular direction.

a subtle enhancement

Focuses on the delicate or understated nature of the improvement.

a trivial betterment

Suggests that the improvement is small and perhaps insignificant.

a faint amelioration

Describes a slight or subtle improvement in a situation or condition.

a negligible upgrade

Implies the improvement is so small it's barely noticeable.

a hairline advancement

Uses a visual metaphor to emphasize the extremely small scale of progress.

FAQs

How can I use "a minimal improvement" in a sentence?

You can use "a minimal improvement" to describe a slight positive change, such as, "The new software update resulted in "a minimal improvement" in processing speed".

What's a good alternative to "a minimal improvement"?

Alternatives include phrases like "a slight advance", "a marginal gain", or "a modest step forward", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

What is the difference between "a minimal improvement" and "a significant improvement"?

"A minimal improvement" indicates a small or slight positive change, while "a significant improvement" implies a substantial and noticeable positive change. The choice depends on the magnitude of the improvement you're describing.

Is it always negative to describe something as "a minimal improvement"?

Not necessarily. While it acknowledges the change isn't drastic, it can still be a positive acknowledgement, especially when any improvement is welcome, even if small.