bare minimum

bare minimum

1. The smallest possible quantity or the least fulfilling, but still adequate, condition that is required, acceptable, or suitable for some purpose.
   • 1852, Joseph Fletcher, “Statistics of the Farm School System of the Continent,”, in Journal of the Statistical Society of London, volume 15, number 1, page 32:

     The Belgian colonies, if they adhere to these limits, must provide for all their wants at a lower cost by one half than the French as a bare minimum.

   • 1948, D. B. Copland, “United States Policy in China,”, in Pacific Affairs, volume 21, number 4, page 344:

     It is the old problem of what a victor is to do with the vanquished, if the latter is to gain the bare minimum of economic independence.

   • 2006 November 1, Jean Friedman, “Can Bolivia's Revolution Pay Dividends?”, in Time:

     The foreign companies would punish Bolivia by refusing to invest and only sustaining the bare minimum of operations here.

• modicum

• bare minimum Monday