minutiae
Americanplural noun
plural noun
Usage
Minutia, the singular form meaning “a precise detail; a small or trifling matter” is much less common than the plural. However, this singular form is often used in place of the plural form minutiae , with the same plural meaning and plural verb: She has a great facility for remembering minutia that are relevant to the conversation. And the plural form minutiae is sometimes used as a collective noun with a singular verb: The minutiae of daily life is the stuff that anchors us and gives us a sense of purpose. Both of these usages have been criticized in style guides.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of minutiae
First recorded in 1745–55; from Latin, plural of minūtia “smallness, fineness,” equivalent to minūt(us) “small, tiny” + -ia; see origin at minute 2, -ia
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.
Minutiae of speech and gesture conspire to sour Marcus’s time at the fictional Winesburg College, and behind every misstep is the threat of being kicked out of school and shipped out to Korea.
From The New Yorker • Aug. 1, 2016
Balazs’s title is Chairman of Standard International but he’s clearly retaining the role of Chief Decider of the Minutiae That Matters.
From New York Times • Dec. 2, 2013
And it puts me in mind of another story Cunningham told me, about a European revival of Minutiae.
From The Guardian • Jan. 6, 2013
Minutiae revealed out of context can even obscure what matters.
From The Guardian • Dec. 23, 2010
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.
