technical
Americanadjective
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belonging or pertaining to an art, science, or the like.
technical skill.
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peculiar to or characteristic of a particular art, science, profession, trade, etc..
technical details.
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using terminology or treating subject matter in a manner peculiar to a particular field, as a writer or a book.
a technical report.
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skilled in or familiar in a practical way with a particular art, trade, etc., as a person.
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of, relating to, or showing technique.
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technically demanding or difficult.
a technical violin sonata; a technical ski run.
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designed or used for technically demanding sports or other activities.
technical apparel.
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pertaining to or connected with the mechanical or industrial arts and the applied sciences.
a technical school.
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so considered from a point of view in accordance with a stringent interpretation of the rules.
a military engagement ending in a technical defeat.
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concerned with or dwelling on technicalities.
You're getting too technical for me.
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noting a market in which prices are determined largely by supply and demand and other such internal factors rather than by general business, economic, or psychological factors that influence market activity.
technical weakness or strength.
adjective
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of, relating to, or specializing in industrial, practical, or mechanical arts and applied sciences
a technical institute
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skilled in practical and mechanical arts rather than theoretical or abstract thinking
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relating to or characteristic of a particular field of activity
the technical jargon of linguistics
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existing by virtue of a strict application of the rules or a strict interpretation of the wording
a technical loophole in the law
a technical victory
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of, derived from, or showing technique
technical brilliance
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(of a financial market) having prices determined by internal speculative or manipulative factors rather than by general or economic conditions
a technical rally
Other Word Forms
- hypertechnical adjective
- hypertechnicalness noun
- nontechnical adjective
- nontechnicalness noun
- overtechnical adjective
- pretechnical adjective
- quasi-technical adjective
- technically adverb
- technicalness noun
- untechnical adjective
Etymology
Origin of technical
Explanation
Technical describes a specific art or science, or training for a particular job. If you have trouble with your new computer, you might call for technical support, but a technical school teaches you a certain craft, like how to weld. Technical comes from the Greek tekhno, which means "art or skill." Anything technical requires both art and skill. If you're an Olympic gymnast, you have technical abilities. You might go to a technical school to learn how to be a chef, a mechanic, or a massage therapist. While being technical can be a positive trait, you don't want to overwhelm someone with technicalities. For example: If you're trying to explain how a car works to a kid and you start talking about manifolds, you're getting too technical.
Vocabulary lists containing technical
Reading: Informational - Middle School
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Academy Awards, List 6
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Lessons 2–4
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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.
The company said in its 10-K that it would consider a reverse stock split — a technical way to raise the stock price by combining shares outstanding.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026
Our critic praised his ingenuity, saying “It’s a rare thing to break new technical ground in any art form—especially one that’s tens of thousands of years old. Yet Masaomi Yasunaga does just that.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
Officials have framed the mission as both a technical milestone and a proof of concept for the systems needed to safely transport astronauts beyond low Earth orbit and back again.
From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026
There are no positive technical catalysts on the chart, but downside momentum is starting to moderate.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
After a suitable pause, Riddick expertly shifted gears and began talking about the charrette in practical and even somewhat technical terms.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
