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.
The returning signals provide the information needed to reconstruct a detailed map of the environment.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
There was also confusion in the middle of the Covid pandemic when a fake domestic league in Nauru was announced, with the hoax being very detailed down to team names and registered players.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
So if you agreed to send notes after every meeting, make sure you’re sending a detailed outline of what you both talked about in a timely manner.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Sonically improved to levels never before achievable, and accompanied by a lavish and detailed 100-page book, the 5-CD, 118-track boxed set encompasses all of her released sides and a good many outtakes and test pressings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
They'd ask questions, and my detailed answers would leave them feeling shaken and oddly satisfied.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
