There appear to be three main reasons why the term minimalist music is defined in conflicting ways.

First, it stems from the fundamental issue that no term or concept can perfectly define a particular object. In this sense, defining minimalist music touches upon the inherent limitations of language itself. Even the earlier-mentioned conditions of early minimalism rely on binary oppositions, building their meaning through negations such as “not following tradition.” This structure inevitably leads to ambiguity, but once one begins to question the rigor of such conceptual frameworks, defining anything becomes exceedingly difficult.

Second, minimalist music is a contemporary phenomenon that gained wide popularity and was appropriated across a broad spectrum in a short period of time. The difficulty in defining minimalist music thus lies less in the act of definition itself and more in the fact that the object being referred to—this music—is a rapidly evolving contemporary reality. The coexistence of conflicting definitions within the term “minimalist music” reflects the unique nature of this genre, which, as a form of contemporary music, was explosively appropriated by the public and numerous composers in a short span of time.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, the conflicting definitions of minimalist music arise from the fact that the term minimal is an adjective with inherently ambiguous meaning. The word minimal typically gains more precise meaning only when combined with other words—for example, “minimization of form,” “minimization of duration,” or “minimal subjectivity.” In those contexts, the meaning becomes narrower and more defined. However, when used in the term minimalist music, the word minimal allows for a much broader interpretive freedom, resulting in manifestations that differ significantly in form. In other words, the term minimalism has served as a flexible label for describing the expansion and development of a musical genre. This flexibility is precisely what has allowed for such a diverse range of music to exist under the umbrella of minimalist music.