fine print

American  

[fahyn] / faɪn /

noun

1. printed matter in small-sized type.

2. the detailed wording of a contract, lease, insurance policy, or the like, often set in type smaller than the main body of the document and including general restrictions or qualifications that could be considered disadvantageous.

   Make sure you read the fine print before signing.

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fine print British  

noun

1. Also called: small print. matter set in small type, as in a contract, esp considered as containing unfavourable conditions that the signer might overlook

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Other Word Forms

• fine-print
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of fine print

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fine print

An agent working for a consumer can also flag junk fees, catch unauthorized charges, decode fine print and steer its owner away from predatory products.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Confused, she did a quick search and read the fine print of California SB 729: The long-awaited legislation only applied to employers with 100 or more workers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

"We need and are obliged to know what is written in the fine print," opposition lawmaker Luis Emilio Rondon said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Even if your money is insured this way, it’s important to read the fine print: “FDIC pass-through insurance protects against the failure of a Program Bank, not the failure of PayPal,” the company’s website says.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

I would see clumsy, work-hardened, calloused hands scrawling and scratching signatures on the contract, agreeing to highway- robbery interest rates in the fine print that never was read.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey