at the least

at the least

The lowest amount possible; the absolute minimum. Often indicates the belief that a greater amount is likely or should be considered. I'd say it will take four of us at the least to push this out of the way. I didn't expect so many guests! We'll need five more seats at the least when it's time for dinner. At the least, we need an hour to get there, and look at all this traffic! Ugh.

See also: least

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

at the least

see under at least.

See also: least

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

at the (very) ˈleast

used after amounts to show that the amount is the lowest possible: It’ll take a year, at the very least.

See also: least

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