minimal quantity of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "minimal quantity of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the smallest amount of something that is necessary or required. Example: "The experiment requires a minimal quantity of the chemical to produce accurate results."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

His mother and I have always believed that the best treatment for a sick child is to be tucked up in bed, administered a minimal quantity of drugs, if any, and left to let the body's natural recuperative powers do their work.

Independent

Further it requires minimal quantity of genomic DNA.

AMB Express

A good classifier model, as we expect, returns a minimal quantity of false positives and negatives.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

In other words, it uses a minimal quantity of resources to exploit available parallelism.

EURASIP Journal on Embedded Systems

To improve the network lifetime, each node should consume the same (minimal) quantity of energy.

Ad Hoc Networks

However, a minimal quantity of kaolinite-like surfaces is needed to change the wettability of the bulk sample towards oil-wetness.

Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

You may have to hustle to get them, as more than a few of the watches are available in minimal quantities of just one or two.

Forbes

As a consequence, choice of a mixture with minimal quantities of additive is certainly fundamental to guarantee a competitive commercial strategy, even maintaining improvement of the mechanical and physical properties of the final product.

Geothermal Energy

In this case, there is the possibility that minimal quantities of drugs and their metabolites (residues) which remain in edible tissues or in animal products (meat, milk) induce certain harmful effects in consumers of such food (Sanders 2007).

Pastoralism

These techniques, collectively known as 'micro-biochemical engineering', require only minimal quantities of feed materials and other resources, thus enabling initial design work to be carried out during early process development.

Comprehensive Biotechnology

AluSq, AluSg and AluY subfamilies contain minimal quantities of Bst2UI site at position 71.

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing experimental procedures or requirements, use "minimal quantity of" to clearly state the least amount of a substance needed for accurate results.

Common error

While technically correct, using "minimal quantity of" in casual conversation can sound overly formal. Opt for simpler phrases like "small amount of" or "a little bit of" in less formal settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "minimal quantity of" functions as a determiner phrase, modifying a noun to specify the smallest possible amount of something. This is confirmed by Ludwig, which indicates the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

78%

News & Media

13%

Wiki

4%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "minimal quantity of" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase, particularly in formal and scientific contexts, where precise language is required. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is correct and usable in writing. It serves to indicate the smallest amount of something necessary for a particular purpose. While alternatives like "smallest amount of" exist, "minimal quantity of" provides a more formal and technical tone, best suited for scenarios requiring precision. Overusing the phrase in informal settings may sound overly formal, so it's important to consider the context when choosing this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

smallest amount of

Focuses on the size of the amount, emphasizing it's the absolute least possible.

least quantity of

Highlights the quantity is the lowest possible, often in a comparative context.

reduced amount of

Indicates the amount has been made smaller, implying a prior larger amount existed.

low quantity of

Simply states the quantity is not high, without necessarily implying it's the absolute minimum.

slight amount of

Emphasizes the smallness and unimportance of the amount.

tiny amount of

Highlights the minuscule size of the amount.

small measure of

Uses "measure" instead of "quantity", which can be suitable in some contexts where the substance can be quantified.

trace amount of

Indicates that only a barely detectable amount is present.

scant amount of

Indicates a barely sufficient or inadequate amount.

meager amount of

Implies the amount is deficient or insufficient for a particular purpose.

FAQs

How can I use "minimal quantity of" in a sentence?

The phrase "minimal quantity of" is used to express the smallest amount of something that is necessary or sufficient. For example, "The experiment requires a minimal quantity of the chemical to produce accurate results."

What phrases are similar to "minimal quantity of"?

Similar phrases include "smallest amount of", "least amount of", or "reduced amount of". The best alternative depends on the specific context.

Is it better to say "minimal quantity of" or "small amount of"?

Both phrases are correct, but "minimal quantity of" is more formal and often used in technical or scientific contexts. "Small amount of" is more common in everyday language.

What is the difference between "minimal quantity of" and "trace amount of"?

"Minimal quantity of" implies the smallest amount needed for something to function or occur, while "trace amount of" suggests an extremely small, often barely detectable, amount.