a minimal portion

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a minimal portion" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a small or insignificant part of something. Example: "In the study, only a minimal portion of the participants reported experiencing side effects."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

A Yankees official said the team was responsible for only a minimal portion of the salary.

The New York Times - Sports

They absorb a minimal portion of business cycle variation since our measure of cyclicality is based on 3-month averages of local area unemployment.

IZA Journal of Labor Economics

Based on the finding that TAB1 (TAK1 binding protein 1) binding to TAK1 is required for TAK1 activation, a minimal portion of TAK1 lacking kinase activity that binds to TAB1 was designed as a TAK1 dominant negative inhibitor (TAK1-DN).

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications

Higher prices do not hurt companies much because energy costs tend to be a minimal portion of the cost of goods sold (about 2% of overall revenues according to Empirical Research).

Forbes

And for that, in my eyes, his legacy will Butfelt until the end of time.

Huffington Post

After signing 10- to 15-year contracts and moving into company dormitories, all aspects of their lives are controlled by their managers; even after the performers become household names, they receive a minimal portion of the profits of their success.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

Back to the plot, the girl is giving a full-body massage, as in she is using her full body to massage a rather minimal portion of his body.

Huffington Post

Building on the theme of sacrifice, Jean-Franc Cheusseau answered on the thread that giving up an "even minimal" portion of your freedom is what makes love disturbing.

Independent

This can also be considered an advantage of the technique, since the transposon screen effectively acts as a truncation assay that gives an indication of the minimal portion of the gene sequence required for function.

BMC Genomics

Athens is struggling to complete some minimal portion of the roads and housing it promised.

The New York Times - Sports

By comparison with Nsite, this program applies one additional search parameter a minimal portion of query sequences containing the same RE motif.

Bioinformatics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Employ "a minimal portion" to downplay the importance or impact of something, effectively highlighting its small size or significance.

Common error

Avoid using "a minimal portion" when referring to something inherently large or significant, as it can create a sense of understatement that is misleading. Choose a more appropriate descriptor that reflects the actual scale.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a minimal portion" functions as a noun phrase that acts as a determiner followed by a noun. It modifies another noun to indicate that the quantity being referred to is small and relatively unimportant. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a minimal portion" is a grammatically correct and relatively common way to express that something constitutes a small or insignificant part of a whole. As indicated by Ludwig AI, it is used effectively to downplay the importance or quantity of an item, and is found in both scientific and news contexts. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by explicitly stating what constitutes the whole, and be mindful not to understate something that is inherently large or significant. Related phrases like "a small fraction" or "a negligible amount" can offer subtle variations in emphasis. Remember, "a minimal portion" is a useful tool for nuanced communication, especially when you want to underscore the limited nature of something.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a small fraction

Emphasizes the idea of a part being significantly smaller than the whole.

a tiny segment

Highlights the limited size and distinctiveness of the part.

a negligible amount

Focuses on the insignificance and unimportance of the quantity.

a slight quantity

Indicates a small measure, emphasizing the subtle nature of the amount.

a reduced allocation

Suggests a deliberate lowering of the amount assigned or distributed.

a limited quantity

Focuses on the restricted or scarce nature of the available amount.

a sparse distribution

Conveys the idea of something thinly spread or occurring infrequently.

a narrow margin

Implies a small difference or boundary, often in a competitive context.

a lower threshold

Highlights a minimum acceptable level, emphasizing the boundary of acceptability.

a modest share

Suggests a humble or restrained portion, often in the context of distribution.

FAQs

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

You can use "a minimal portion" to describe a small or insignificant amount of something, as in, "Only "a minimal portion" of the budget was allocated to marketing."

What are some alternatives to "a minimal portion"?

Some alternatives to "a minimal portion" include "a small fraction", "a tiny segment", or "a negligible amount", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is it correct to say "a minimal portion of"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct to say "a minimal portion of". The phrase is frequently used to indicate that only a small amount of something is being considered.

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

"A minimal portion" indicates a very small amount, while "a significant portion" suggests a substantial or noteworthy amount. They are antonyms representing opposite ends of a scale.