Kleinstmöglichem

Kleinstmöglichem is a form of the German adjective kleinstmöglich, used to express the idea of “the smallest possible.” It appears in contexts that describe a minimal constraint or limit, often in technical, economic, or policy language.

Grammatically, kleinstmöglichem is the dative singular form. In German attributive adjective declension, endings change with case, gender, and determiner. Without a determiner, the strong ending for the dative singular can be -em, yielding kleinstmöglichem, as in mit kleinstmöglichem Aufwand or unter kleinstmöglichem Risiko. With a definite article, the form would be dem kleinstmöglichen, and with a different determiner there would be other endings.

Usage examples commonly occur in phrases such as mit kleinstmöglichem Aufwand (with the smallest possible effort) and unter kleinstmöglichem Risiko (under the smallest possible risk). The base adjective can also appear in the definite form das kleinstmögliche Maß (the smallest possible measure). In broader writing, kleinstmöglich and its inflected forms appear in formal, technical, and regulatory texts to specify minimal acceptable values, costs, or risks.

Related terms and alternatives include geringstmöglich and minimal möglich, which convey similar notions of minimization but differ in nuance or common collocations. Kleinstmögliche constructions are typically preferred in precise, constraint-oriented prose rather than everyday informal speech.

See also: geringstmöglich, minimal, minimal möglich, kleinstmöglichkeit.