at the very least

English

Pronunciation

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Adverb

at the very least (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) at least; as an absolute minimum; emphatic form of at the least.

   Antonym: at the very most

   • 2013 September 20, Martina Hyde, The Guardian‎^[1]:

     After all, if we think of the Vatican as a vast and hugely successful multinational corporation, then this interview would appear to be the equivalent of a profits warning. At the very least, it would seem to be tinkering with the formula of the biggest spiritual brand in the world, analogous to Coca-Cola changing its famous recipe in 1985.

   • 2025 March 1, Barney Ronay, “Crystal Palace through after Millwall keeper’s red for head-high tackle on Mateta”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     Palace made it 3-1 on 81 minutes, Nketiah nipping in to finish nicely, then doing a no-celebration pose in front of the away fans. Nketiah grew up a couple of miles from the Den. It felt, at the very least, like a neighbourly overture, and in violent contrast to the opening act at the other end.

Translations

as an absolute minimum

• French: au minimum (fr), au moins (fr), au bas mot (fr), tout au moins (fr)
• German: allerwenigstens (de)
• Irish: ar a laghad ar bith
• Polish: przynajmniej (pl), w najgorszym przypadku (pl)