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.
"This is a very complex operation and it's not a secret so we will have to be very, very detailed," Grossi said, adding that the outcome would depend "on the political will of both sides".
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
He detailed his condition to co-hosts Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland during a filmed discussion about the upcoming harvest at his Diddly Squat farm.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026
Their findings, detailed in a new report shared exclusively with The Wall Street Journal, have both surprised and alarmed officials.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
Football tactics are continually being developed and analysed in an increasingly detailed manner so it is interesting, and fun, to see the 4-4-2 become so commonly used at this World Cup.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
The veins, the spine, the nervous system: it is all there in Leonardo’s notebooks, immaculately crosshatched and detailed.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
