Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "ƙaramin lokaci" ya bambanta dangane da mahallin. A hankali da falsafa, ƙaramin lokaci shine kalmar da ta bayyana a matsayin batun ƙarshe a cikin syllogism. Har ila yau, a wasu lokuta ana kiransa da “subject term.”A cikin syllogism, akwai kalmomi guda uku: babban kalma, ƙarami, da kuma tsakiyar kalma. Babban lokaci shine ma'anar ƙarshe, yayin da tsakiyar lokaci ya bayyana a duka jigo da ƙarshe. Karamin kalma shine batun kammalawa sannan kuma ya bayyana a daya daga cikin wuraren. ana la'akari da ƙasa da mahimmanci fiye da babban lokaci ko matsakaicin lokaci.