minute

¹ American  

[min-it] / ˈmɪn ɪt /

noun

1. the sixtieth part (1/60) of an hour; sixty seconds.

2. an indefinitely short space of time.

   Wait a minute!

   Synonyms:

   second, jiffy

3. an exact point in time; instant; moment.

   Come here this minute!

4. minutes, the official record of the proceedings at a meeting of a society, committee, or other group.

5. Chiefly British. a written summary, note, or memorandum.

6. a rough draft, as of a document.

7. Geometry. the sixtieth part of a degree of angular measure, often represented by the sign ′, as in 12° 10′, which is read as 12 degrees and 10 minutes.

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verb (used with object)

minuted, minuting

1. to time exactly, as movements or speed.

2. to make a draft of (a document or the like).

3. to record in a memorandum; note down.

4. to enter in the minutes of a meeting.

adjective

1. prepared in a very short time.

   minute pudding.

idioms

1. up to the minute, modern; up-to-date.

   The building design is up to the minute.

minute ² American  

[mahy-noot, -nyoot, mi-] / maɪˈnut, -ˈnyut, mɪ- /

adjective

minuter, minutest

1. extremely small, as in size, amount, extent, or degree.

   minute differences.

   Synonyms:

   minuscule, infinitesimal, tiny

   Antonyms:

   large

2. of minor importance; insignificant; trifling.

3. attentive to or concerned with even the smallest details.

   a minute examination.

   Synonyms:

   precise, exact, detailed

   Antonyms:

   general, rough

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minute ¹ British  

/ ˈmɪnɪt /

noun

1. a period of time equal to 60 seconds; one sixtieth of an hour

2. Also called: minute of arc.   ′.  a unit of angular measure equal to one sixtieth of a degree

3. any very short period of time; moment

4. a short note or memorandum

5. the distance that can be travelled in a minute

   it's only two minutes away

6. (up-to-the-minute when prenominal) very latest or newest

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verb

1. to record in minutes

   to minute a meeting

2. to time in terms of minutes

minute ² British  

/ maɪˈnjuːt /

adjective

1. very small; diminutive; tiny

2. unimportant; petty

3. precise or detailed

   a minute examination

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minute Scientific  

/ mĭn′ĭt /

1. A unit of time equal to 1/60 of an hour or 60 seconds.

2. ◆ A sidereal minute is 1/60 of a sidereal hour, and a mean solar minute is 1/60 of a mean solar hour.

3. See more at sidereal time solar time

4. A unit of angular measurement, such as longitude or right ascension, that is equal to 1/60 of a degree or 60 seconds.

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minute More Idioms  

1. see at the last minute; every minute counts; just a minute; mile a minute; wait a minute.

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Related Words

Minute, instant, moment refer to small amounts of time. A minute, properly denoting 60 seconds, is often used loosely for any very short space of time (and may be interchangeable with second ): I'll be there in just a minute. An instant is practically a point in time, with no duration, though it is also used to mean a perceptible amount of time: not an instant's delay. Moment denotes much the same as instant, though with a somewhat greater sense of duration (but somewhat less than minute ): It will only take a moment.

See little.

Other Word Forms

• minuteness noun
• unminuted adjective

Etymology

Origin of minute¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, Middle French, from Medieval Latin minūta, noun use of feminine of minūtus minute ²

Origin of minute¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin minūtus (past participle of minuere “to make smaller or fewer”), equivalent to minū- verb stem + -tus past participle suffix; minus, minor

Example Sentences

The doll and its many variants have been losing momentum since her latest 15 minutes in the spotlight following the 2023 hit movie “Barbie.”

From Los Angeles Times

Megan who is in Year 7, said her screen time had gone down from two hours a day to 16 minutes, as a result of handing her phone in.

From BBC

After eight hours of open-heart surgery, little Chester Osment's heart had to be stopped twice after it raced to a dangerously high 280 beats per minute.

From BBC

I've watched my team be really on it in the first half, then completely lose control of the game inside the first five minutes of the second half - and vice versa.

From BBC

Topic received a standing ovation when he entered the game in the first quarter and scored two points on one basket in 12:22 minutes of action.

From Barron's

Related Words

• infinitesimal
• microscopic
• minimal
• minuscule
• tiny