minimum

minimum
    adj 1: the least possible; "needed to enforce minimal
           standards"; "her grades were minimal"; "minimum wage"; "a
           minimal charge for the service" [syn: {minimal},
           {minimum}] [ant: {maximal}, {maximum}]
    n 1: the smallest possible quantity [syn: {minimum}, {lower
         limit}] [ant: {maximum}, {upper limit}]
    2: the point on a curve where the tangent changes from negative
       on the left to positive on the right [ant: {maximum}]
    

Minimum \Min"i*mum\, n.; pl. {Minima}. [L., fr. minimus. See
   {Minim}.]
   The least quantity assignable, admissible, or possible, in a
   given case; hence, a thing of small consequence; -- opposed
   to {maximum}.
   [1913 Webster]

   {Minimum thermometer}, a thermometer for recording the lowest
      temperature since its last adjustment.
      [1913 Webster]
    

100 Moby Thesaurus words for "minimum":
      ace, adequacy, adequate, adequate supply, adequateness, ample,
      atom, bare minimum, bare sufficiency, barely sufficient, bit,
      commensurate, competence, competency, competent, corresponding,
      dab, decent, dole, dot, dram, dribble, driblet, due, dwarf, enough,
      equal to, exact measure, farthing, few, fit, fleck, flyspeck,
      fragment, gobbet, good, good enough, grain, granule, groat, hair,
      handful, iota, jot, just enough, least, little, little bit,
      littlest, lota, lowest, margin, minim, minimal, minutiae, mite,
      modicum, molecule, mote, nadir, nominal, nutshell, ounce, particle,
      pebble, pinch, pittance, plenty, plenty good enough, point,
      proportionate, reduced, right amount, satisfaction,
      satisfactoriness, satisfactory, satisfactory amount, scruple,
      shortest, slightest, smallest, smidgen, smitch, speck, spoonful,
      spot, substantial, sufficiency, sufficient, sufficient for,
      sufficientness, sufficing, suitable, thimbleful, tiny bit, tittle,
      trifling amount, trivia, up to, whit