hairsplitting
[ hair-split-ing ]
/ ˈhɛərˌsplɪt ɪŋ /
Save This Word!
noun
the making of unnecessarily fine distinctions.
adjective
characterized by such distinctions: the hairsplitting arguments of a political debate.
OTHER WORDS FOR hairsplitting
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
OTHER WORDS FROM hairsplitting
hairsplitter, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use hairsplitting in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for hairsplitting
hairsplitting
/ (ˈhɛəˌsplɪtɪŋ) /
noun
the making of petty distinctions
adjective
occupied with or based on petty distinctions
Derived forms of hairsplitting
hairsplitter, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012