a minimal length

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a minimal length" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when specifying the shortest allowable measurement or duration of something. Example: "The document must have a minimal length of 500 words to be considered for submission."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Three network algorithms for direction assignment, node-arc ordering and construction of a minimal length cycle set have been devised for this purpose.

Chemical Engineering Science

To cope with redundancy and interestingness relationship among items, we suggest to focus on closed patterns and introduce a minimal length constraint.

Expert Systems with Applications

The results showed that the amino terminal residues and the hydrophobic nature of the peptide, with a minimal length of nine residues, were necessary for transduction.

European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

For designing a minimal length light-inducible Gacab promoter, the full-length Gacab P and the 5′ truncations of 197, 504, and 779 bp in length were fused with gus (uid A) gene and ligated into plant expression vectors.

Acta Agronomica Sinica

RockYou account creation only enforced password of a minimal length of 5 characters, there was no requirement for mixed-case, numbers or punctuation.

TechCrunch

While increasing this potential ridership is significant, it is necessary to keep any route extension to a minimal length.

Urban Rail Transit

The size of this profile window must have a minimal length before the AQP technique applies its analysis phase.

Journal of Internet Services and Applications

We included patients with a minimal length of ICU stay (LOS) of 48 h and evaluated for a maximum of 8 weeks of stay.

Annals of Intensive Care

Rovelli and Speziale (2003) have argued that, in fact, the existence of a minimal length does not imply a violation of the Lorentz symmetry (a conclusion seconded by the proponents of the causal set programme).

SEP

In critically ill patients, DCs with a minimal length of 24 cm could possibly be used, because compared with 24-cm femoral DC 20-cm femoral DCs are independently associated with a diminished urea reduction ratio [11].

Annals of Intensive Care

This study was a prospective, observational study from February to March 2015, evaluating all patients with a minimal length of ICU-stay of 3 days in a university teaching hospital.

Intensive Care Medicine Experimental

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When setting requirements, specify "a minimal length" to ensure compliance and prevent misunderstandings regarding acceptable values.

Common error

Avoid using "a minimal length" when you actually mean the ideal or best length. "Minimal" refers to the smallest acceptable measurement, not the most desirable one.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a minimal length" functions as an adjective phrase modifying the noun "length". It specifies a lower limit or threshold for a measurement, as confirmed by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

89%

News & Media

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a minimal length" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to denote the shortest acceptable size or duration, as verified by Ludwig AI. It is frequently employed in scientific and technical contexts to set clear requirements. While alternatives like "a minimum length" or "a shortest length" exist, understanding the subtle differences in connotation is crucial for precise communication. Use "minimal" to emphasize the lower limit rather than the ideal measurement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a minimum length

Replaces "minimal" with "minimum", providing a direct synonym with similar connotation.

a shortest length

Uses "shortest" to emphasize the extreme smallness of the length.

a lower bound length

Emphasizes that the length is a limit below which it cannot go.

a threshold length

Indicates the length as a point that must be reached or exceeded.

an absolute minimum length

Adds emphasis on the length being the smallest possible.

a restricted length

Focuses on the limitation imposed on the length.

a limited length

Similar to "restricted length", but highlights the finite aspect.

a designated minimum length

Highlights that a minimum length has been established or specified.

a requisite length

Indicates that the length is required or necessary.

a prescribed length

Highlights that the length is officially set or recommended.

FAQs

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

You can use "a minimal length" to specify the shortest acceptable measurement or duration of something. For example, "The cable must have "a minimal length" of 2 meters to reach the power outlet."

What is a good substitute for "a minimal length"?

Alternatives to "a minimal length" include "a minimum length", "a shortest length", or "a threshold length", depending on the context.

Which is more appropriate: "a minimal length" or "a maximum length"?

"A minimal length" indicates the smallest acceptable size, while "a maximum length" defines the largest permissible size. The choice depends on whether you're setting a lower or upper limit.

What's the difference between "a minimal length" and "an optimal length"?

"A minimal length" refers to the shortest acceptable size, whereas "an optimal length" refers to the ideal or most effective size. Use "a minimal length" when setting a requirement and "an optimal length" when describing an ideal condition.