zumindest

zu +‎ mindest

• IPA^(key): /t͡suˈmɪndəst/

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zumindest

1. at least

   Synonyms: immerhin, mindestens, wenigstens

   Du brauchst zumindest einen Führerschein, um Auto zu fahren.

   You need at least a driving license to drive a car.

   Geleistet hast du nichts, aber zumindest bist du überhaupt gekommen.

   You haven’t contributed anything, but at least you’ve shown up.

• Although zumindest and mindestens can often be used interchangeably, there is a tendency to distinguish them. Mindestens is preferred when there is an actual ranking, particularly one involving numbers, whereas zumindest is used otherwise.
• In the examples above, mindestens could be used alternatively in the first sentence, whereas it would sound awkward in the second. The difference is that sentence 2 does not express a requirement or lower limit but simply the insufficiency of the addressed person’s efforts.

• “zumindest” in Duden online
• “zumindest” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache