minimal progress

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "minimal progress" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where only a small amount of advancement or improvement has been made. Example: "Despite our efforts, we have only made minimal progress on the project this week."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

48 human-written examples

Logan has shown minimal progress in his recovery.

The New York Times - Sports

But there has been minimal progress, officials said.

The New York Times

The results showed minimal progress in narrowing achievement gaps between white and minority students.

The New York Times

He made minimal progress from hour to hour, but never left his station.

The New Yorker

They will continue in a plodding ecumenism that has been going with minimal progress for 40 years.

The Guardian - Opinion

Typically, actions are combined by nondeterministic choice, which models minimal progress among processes rather than fairness.

Electronic Notes in Theoretical Computer Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

12 human-written examples

You wouldn't experiment on humans, so why exploit other animal species for at best minimal scientific progress?

The Times

"50 years after the Kerner Commission, minimal racial progress" In 1967, young black men rioted in more than 150 cities, often spurred by overly aggressive policing.

University of California, Berkeley

A case could be made for there being only minimal human progress since the Romans and the Christians in the Colosseum.

Los Angeles Times

As usual, certain vocal delegations dominated the proceedings and the facilitators had to resort to accepting minimal, incremental progress – the lowest common denominator in many cases – to keep things moving along.

HuffPost

An alternative young man walk is the penguin shuffle: with the pelvis leading, feet kick out duck-wise at each step, making minimal forward progress; shoulders stay low, the head and chin forward; hands are invisible, pulled up inside the sleeves of puffy jackets.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair "minimal progress" with a reason or explanation for the slow pace to provide context. For example: "Despite significant investment, we've seen only minimal progress due to unforeseen challenges."

Common error

Avoid using "minimal progress" when there has been no advancement at all. Using it in such cases creates a contradiction and undermines your credibility. If there's no progress, state it directly.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "minimal progress" functions as a noun phrase, where the adjective "minimal" modifies the noun "progress". According to Ludwig, it is grammatically correct and commonly used. It's used to describe situations where advancement is happening, but at a very slow or nearly imperceptible rate.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

54%

Science

29%

Academia

11%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Formal & Business

2%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "minimal progress" is a commonly used and grammatically sound phrase, as confirmed by Ludwig, to express that some advancement has occurred, but at a slow or barely noticeable pace. It's most frequently found in news, media, and scientific contexts. When using "minimal progress", it's best to use it when there has truly been advancement, albeit small, and to avoid overstating its significance. Ludwig examples show how versatile this phrase is, and how well it works in different contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slight advancement

Focuses on the small degree of advancement made.

limited headway

Emphasizes the constrained nature of the forward movement.

modest improvement

Highlights the moderate nature of the positive change.

glacial pace

Implies an extremely slow rate of advancement.

little development

Focuses on the lack of significant development.

scant progress

Emphasizes the insufficiency of the progress made.

marginal gains

Highlights that the gains are barely significant.

limited forward movement

Emphasizes the restricted extent of the advancement.

token advancement

Suggests that the progress is only symbolic or superficial.

incremental steps

Focuses on the gradual and small nature of the changes.

FAQs

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

"Minimal progress" is typically used to describe situations where there's been some advancement, but it's very slight or slow. For example: "The negotiations have yielded "minimal progress", with key issues remaining unresolved."

What are some alternatives to "minimal progress"?

Alternatives include "slight advancement", "limited headway", or "modest improvement". The best choice depends on the specific context and the nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "minimum progress" instead of "minimal progress"?

While "minimum" and "minimal" are related, "minimal progress" is generally preferred when describing the extent of advancement. "Minimum" usually refers to a lower limit or requirement, whereas "minimal" describes something that is the least possible or very small in degree.

What's the difference between "minimal progress" and "no progress"?

"Minimal progress" indicates that some advancement, however small, has been made. In contrast, "no progress" means there has been absolutely no advancement or positive change. It's important to choose the phrase that accurately reflects the situation.