minimal in number

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "minimal in number" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a quantity that is very small or limited in count. Example: "The participants in the study were minimal in number, which may affect the reliability of the results."

✓ Grammatically correct

International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility

Huffington Post

BMC Genomics

Global Health Action

British Medical Journal

BMC Cancer

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis

Cell Death and Disease

BMC Systems Biology

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Nanoscale Research Letters

BMC Cancer

Cough

BMC Medical Genomics

BMC Genomics

CBE Life Sciences Education

The New York Times

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

The key question that Bowen asked that continues to be asked today was "what responsibilities to society may businessmen reasonably be expected to assume?" (Bowen 1953, p. xi) As the title of Bowen's book suggests, this was a period during which business women did not exist, or were minimal in number, and thus they were not acknowledged in formal writings.

International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility

However, the existence of that kind of film is minimal in number at best and token at worst, despite the fact that films like The Assassination of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford, True Grit, 3 10 to Yuma, No Country for Old Men, or There Will Be Blood, period pieces, featuring white stars, are very successful.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Number of unresolved bases (Ns) was found to be very minimal (181 in number).

BMC Genomics

(Hospital Manager 9, District Hospital) Minimal dependency relationships imply that there should be a single implementing agency or if other agencies are involved, that the dependency relationships are minimal both in number and importance (27).

Global Health Action

Some studies tested multiple models, with minimal difference in number of risk factors; in such cases authors' preferred models were selected or, if no preference stated, we made our own judgment.

British Medical Journal

Additionally, the corresponding reported drug vector is minimal in the number of drugs used, which is desirable in therapy usage.

BMC Genomics

Whether or not the capability for metastasis is present at transformation or acquired after transformation, the geometry of Equation [8] predicts minimal differences in numbers of mutations between a primary and its metastases because the interval before transformation is typically much greater than the interval after transformation (Fig 4B).

BMC Cancer

The first one limits the maximal electric-field in the building at a user-defined level (e.g., in accordance with national regulations) and designs a network with a minimal cost, expressed in number of APs.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

D-optimal design is chosen in order to simultaneously examine both categorical and numerical factors in minimal number of experiments.

Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis

The parameter Gmin, which represents the minimal node number in each group, is used to model some real scenarios, in which each group requires some certain members to function properly for its mission or task.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

This difference, however, was minimal in terms of the number of CD4+Foxp3−BrdU+ cells (Supplementary Figure S1c).

Cell Death and Disease

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "minimal in number", ensure the context clearly indicates what is being minimized. For instance, "The errors were minimal in number" clarifies that the errors are few.

Common error

Avoid embedding "minimal in number" within already complex sentences. Break down lengthy sentences for clarity. Instead of "Due to factors that were minimal in number and difficult to identify, the experiment failed", try "The experiment failed. Few factors were identifiable."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "minimal in number" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun to indicate a small or very limited quantity. Ludwig examples show it describing the scarcity of items or entities. It quantifies a noun by emphasizing its low count or amount.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

70%

News & Media

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "minimal in number" serves to describe a quantity or count that is exceedingly small. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and suitable for use in written English. While not as common as alternatives like ""few in number"", "minimal in number" is appropriate for formal and scientific contexts. It is important to ensure clarity in sentences using this phrase, and overuse in complex sentences should be avoided. Remember that using "minimal in number" is best suited to convey the limited quantity of something.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Few in number

Replaces "minimal" with "few", emphasizing the scarcity directly.

Small in quantity

Substitutes "number" with "quantity", focusing on the amount rather than count.

Limited in number

Uses "limited" instead of "minimal", stressing the restricted amount.

Scarce in quantity

Employs "scarce" to highlight the rarity of the amount.

In short supply

Indicates that something is not readily available or abundant.

Barely any

A more informal way to express a very small quantity.

Negligible amount

Highlights that the amount is so small it can be disregarded.

A handful

Implies a small, easily countable number.

A trickle

Suggests a very small and slow flow or amount.

Meager quantity

Conveys that the amount is insufficient or poor.

FAQs

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

You can use "minimal in number" to describe something that is very few. For example, "The participants in the study were "few in number", which may affect the reliability of the results."

What's the difference between "minimal in number" and ""few in number""?

"Minimal in number" and ""few in number"" are largely interchangeable. "Minimal in number" might sound slightly more formal or technical, while ""few in number"" is more common in everyday language.

What can I say instead of "minimal in number"?

You can use alternatives like "scarce in quantity", "limited in number", or "in short supply" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "least in number" instead of "minimal in number"?

While understandable, "least in number" isn't as common or idiomatic as "minimal in number". It's generally better to stick with "minimal in number" for clearer and more natural language.