comparatively minimal

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "comparatively minimal" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when comparing the degree or extent of something that is relatively small or limited in nature. Example: "The changes made to the project were comparatively minimal, resulting in only slight improvements."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

Damage was said to be comparatively minimal.

The New York Times

But health concerns, according to an industry analyst at NPD Group, have actually had a comparatively minimal effect on how often families finish home meals with something sweet.

The Washington Post

The pay increases for players losing in the early rounds were comparatively minimal, with the bump for first-round losers amounting to less than $1,000.

The New York Times - Sports

The comparatively minimal top is inlaid with mother-of-pearl stars constellated as they would have appeared over the Northern Hemisphere on May 8 , 1821 the day Vanderbilt was born.

The New York Times - Arts

All this happened with comparatively minimal backlash from notoriously tetchy readers, because Alonso and the company's writing and editing teams have made changes carefully, switching costumes among established characters and stacking the deck with popular creators when the possibility of fan rage – which is always at least ambient – seems likely.

The Guardian

Such support should be comparatively minimal, since it doesn't require a complete reengineering of the web-based application.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

These isolates had comparatively higher minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of fluoroquinolones, although they were susceptible to fluoroquinolones by conventional disc diffusion testing and recommended MIC breakpoints [ 8- 10].

BMC Infectious Diseases

While this amount of water may seem excessive, comparatively, it is a minimal portion of the state's overall usage.

Forbes

The surgical exposure is minimal, and the comparatively strong load-sharing implants are well tolerated.

Strategies in Trauma and Limb Reconstruction

We conclude that the implementation of the VMIC is feasible, incurs minimal performance overhead comparatively to the time taken by other aspects of the cloud application construction life-cycle, and make recommendations on enhancing its performance.

Journal of Cloud Computing

In order to unveil the function of minimal introns, we comparatively analyzed three sets of genes: (1) genes with minimal introns, (2) genes with only large introns and (3) genes without introns, and found that the presence of minimal introns is associated with gene's length, expression level, replication timing and chromatin structure.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "comparatively minimal" when you want to emphasize that something is small in comparison to something else. This phrase is useful for highlighting relative differences.

Common error

Avoid using "comparatively minimal" in sentences where 'small' or 'minor' would suffice. The phrase is most effective when a comparison is explicitly or implicitly present.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "comparatively minimal" functions as an adverbial modifier that quantifies an adjective. It indicates that something is small or insignificant in relation to a comparison point. As shown by Ludwig, it emphasizes the relative degree of minimality.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

32%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "comparatively minimal" is a useful phrase for indicating that something is relatively small or insignificant in comparison to something else. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage across various contexts, particularly in news and media, and scientific writing. When writing, it’s best to use this phrase when you want to emphasize the relative difference in size, impact, or importance, but avoid overuse in simple sentences where a simpler adjective like 'small' or 'minor' would suffice. As noted in the usage examples from Ludwig, the phrase often appears in discussions of damage assessments, cost analyses, and social impacts. Remember to maintain precision and clarity in your writing by making the comparison implicit or explicit.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

relatively small

Replaces the comparative adverb with a more common alternative while maintaining the adjective.

quite small

Uses a different intensifier adverb to modify "small".

fairly minimal

Substitutes the comparative adverb with another adverb of degree.

somewhat insignificant

Replaces both words with near synonyms, altering the tone slightly.

relatively insignificant

Uses "insignificant" instead of "minimal", keeping "relatively".

modestly small

Emphasizes the smallness in a reserved or unassuming manner.

marginally small

Indicates that something is only slightly small.

slightly minimal

Emphasizes a small degree of minimality.

hardly significant

Expresses a lack of significance rather than a small amount.

not particularly large

Uses a negative construction to express smallness indirectly.

FAQs

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

Use "comparatively minimal" to describe something that is small or insignificant when compared to something else. For example: "The damage was "comparatively minimal" after the storm compared to previous years."

What are some alternatives to "comparatively minimal"?

Alternatives include "relatively small", "fairly minimal", or "somewhat insignificant", depending on the specific context and nuance you want to convey.

Is "comparatively minimal" formal or informal?

"Comparatively minimal" can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it is generally more appropriate for written communication or situations where a degree of precision is desired.

What is the difference between "comparatively minimal" and "insignificant"?

"Comparatively minimal" implies a comparison to something else, while "insignificant" suggests that something is unimportant on its own. Using "comparatively minimal" highlights the relative smallness in relation to a point of reference.