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Synonyms

minutes

British  
/ ˈmɪnɪts /

plural noun

  1. an official record of the proceedings of a meeting, conference, convention, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Explanation

Minutes are notes that are taken at a meeting and often distributed to participants. Often, the secretary of an organization or club is the person who gets stuck taking the minutes. The best minutes provide a summary of the most important items that were discussed during a meeting. Parent-teacher organizations, city councils, and court hearings all include someone who takes minutes. In the case of a hearing, every single word spoken in the courtroom, unless specifically excluded by the judge, is included in the minutes. The Latin root of minutes is minuta scriptura, "rough notes," or "small writing."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For a few minutes a number of people at Wolves' training ground were locked out before the problem was fixed.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Although many crashed or collided with robot brethren, Lightning avoided a serious mishap and crossed the finish line in 50 minutes, 26 seconds.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

Last month, the human world-record holder, Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda, finished the roughly 13-mile race in 57 minutes and 20 seconds in Lisbon, Portugal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

“Located just minutes from Meadowood Resort and downtown Saint Helena, this Napa Valley estate promises a lifestyle of luxury, privacy, and sophistication, perfectly suited for those seeking the ultimate in resort-style living,” adds the listing.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

We get back to coloring, but a few minutes later, he cries out again.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison