Dictionary.com

hairsplitting

[ hair-split-ing ]
/ ˈhɛərˌsplɪt ɪŋ /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for hairsplitting on Thesaurus.com
noun
the making of unnecessarily fine distinctions.
adjective
characterized by such distinctions: the hairsplitting arguments of a political debate.

OTHER WORDS FOR hairsplitting

2 quibbling, niggling, nitpicking, captious.
See synonyms for hairsplitting on Thesaurus.com
QUIZ
SPRINT TO THE FINISH WITH THIS OLYMPICS QUIZ!
Compete in our Olympics quiz to see if you can take home the gold medal in Olympics knowledge.
Question 1 of 10
Where was the Olympics first held?
ancient Rome
ancient Greece
ancient Persia
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Meet Grammar CoachWrite or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar helpImprove Your Writing
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Origin of hairsplitting

First recorded in 1820–30; hair + splitting

OTHER WORDS FROM hairsplitting

hairsplitter, noun

Words nearby hairsplitting

hair seal, hair sheep, hair shirt, hair slide, hair space, hairsplitting, hair spray, hairspring, hairstreak, hair stroke, hairstyle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to hairsplitting

faultfinding, pettiness, sophistry, carping, perfectionism, bickering, quibbling, caviling

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, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK