minimal contribution to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "minimal contribution to" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the small or limited impact or involvement someone or something has in a particular context or situation. Example: "The research showed that there was a minimal contribution to the overall findings from the additional data collected."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

36 human-written examples

But this claim was dismissed by the judge who perceived the journals as offering "minimal" contribution to public debate.

The Guardian

The goal, the students say, is to protest what they see as Google's minimal contribution to the British treasury.

The New York Times

Using the courthouse mainly for government office space, the study said, "provides minimal contribution to public good and does not integrate well with the architectural fabric".

The New York Times

And because they are modest to begin with, they can make only a minimal contribution to America's long-term energy needs.

The New York Times

Automobile company executives have said that the program would make only a minimal contribution to cleaning California's air and that it would be difficult to sell even a few thousand electric vehicles.

The New York Times

Many show little consideration for scale and setting, make minimal contribution to public realm or street-level experience and are designed without concern for their cumulative effect and impact.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

23 human-written examples

Those kids left behind by the incompetence of LAUSD, and other notable failures across the country, will most likely be destined to make minimal contributions to their own prosperity or to society.

Huffington Post

An apparent discrepancy exists in how these observations dovetail with those in other studies, and particularly in single unit studies in macaque visual cortices [43], [44] which suggest that plasticity is limited to higher cortical areas, and demonstrate that plasticity in lower visual cortical areas have minimal contributions to perceptual learning in their tasks.

Plosone

Toxins and hydrolytic enzymes are central to virulence in necrotrophs but have minimal contributions to biotrophic pathogenesis [ 2, 4, 8].

BMC Genomics

This ensured that free-living G. cryophila cells not ingested by M. rubrum made minimal contributions to the transcriptome of the ciliate.

BMC Genomics

The isolated BRCT repeat exhibited weak CstF-50 binding, and the ankyrin domain in isolation did not bind to CstF-50, suggesting these regions make minimal contributions to high-affinity CstF-50 interactions.

Biochemistry

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "minimal contribution to", ensure the context clearly indicates what the subject's contribution is minimal in relation to. This adds clarity and prevents ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "minimal contribution to" when the subject has no contribution. Use phrases like "no contribution to" or "not a factor in" for greater accuracy in such cases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "minimal contribution to" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun, indicating that something has a small or insignificant impact on something else. Ludwig shows this phrase is often used to describe a limited role or effect.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

35%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "minimal contribution to" is a frequently used phrase for expressing that something has a small or insignificant impact. Ludwig AI analysis confirms the phrase is grammatically correct and appears most often in scientific and news media contexts. To ensure clear communication, use this phrase when you wish to accurately reflect a limited role and, as a best practice, specify what the contribution is minimal in relation to. Alternatives include "negligible impact on" and "insignificant effect on".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

negligible impact on

Replaces "contribution" with "impact" and "minimal" with "negligible", emphasizing the lack of effect.

insignificant effect on

Uses "effect" instead of "contribution" and "insignificant" for "minimal", highlighting the trivial consequence.

trivial role in

Substitutes "contribution" with "role" and "minimal" with "trivial", suggesting an unimportant part.

limited influence on

Replaces "contribution" with "influence" and "minimal" with "limited", focusing on the restricted power or effect.

small part in

Uses "part" to replace "contribution" and "small" for "minimal", indicating a minor role.

minor factor in

Changes "contribution" to "factor" and "minimal" to "minor", suggesting a less important element.

slight involvement in

Replaces "contribution" with "involvement" and "minimal" with "slight", emphasizing a small degree of participation.

marginal effect on

Uses "effect" instead of "contribution" and "marginal" for "minimal", indicating a borderline consequence.

nominal impact on

Replaces "contribution" with "impact" and "minimal" with "nominal", highlighting a negligible influence.

modest role in

Substitutes "contribution" with "role" and "minimal" with "modest", suggesting an understated part.

FAQs

How can I use "minimal contribution to" in a sentence?

You can use "minimal contribution to" to describe something that has a slight or negligible impact. For instance, "The new policy had a "minimal contribution to" improving the company's overall revenue".

What phrases are similar to "minimal contribution to"?

Similar phrases include "negligible impact on", "insignificant effect on", or "slight involvement in". The choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "minimal contribution to" or "small contribution to"?

Both phrases are correct, but "minimal contribution to" suggests an even lesser impact than "small contribution to". The best choice depends on the actual magnitude of the contribution you're describing.

What's the difference between "minimal contribution to" and "no contribution to"?

"Minimal contribution to" implies there is some, albeit very small, effect or involvement. "No contribution to", on the other hand, indicates a complete lack of effect or involvement.