detailed
Americanadjective
-
having many details.
a detailed problem.
- Synonyms:
- complicated, complex, involved
-
thorough in the treatment of details; minute.
a detailed report.
- Synonyms:
- comprehensive, thorough, exhaustive
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of detailed
Explanation
Use the adjective detailed when you're talking about something that's full of specific points or facts. A detailed weather report includes temperature, cloud cover, and the possibility of rain. Something that's detailed is focused on the fine points or small aspects — a detailed portrait of your grandmother includes every wisp of hair and subtle shade of skin. Detailed explanations take some time, because the person doing the explaining isn't leaving any detail out. The literal Old French meaning of the noun detail is "a cutting in pieces," and it's used to mean "small piece or quantity."
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.
NASA-supported projects and monitoring systems are giving water managers and other decision-makers across the Colorado Basin more detailed information about drought conditions and how they are changing.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
His book is filled with detailed accounts of patients who responded in different ways to their diagnosis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Reed did not respond to detailed questions about the Corner Bakery meeting, the $150,000 donation and Kao’s allegations.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
An arbitration panel then detailed how a junior analyst intern said he felt under "extreme pressure".
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
A devoted and talented writer with an eye for detail, her secret diary, which she began at fourteen, detailed her observations and encounters with the political, military, and diplomatic elite.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
