minute

¹ American  

[min-it] / ˈmɪn ɪt /

noun

1. the sixtieth part (1/60) of an hour; sixty seconds.

2. an indefinitely short space of time.

   Wait a minute!

   Synonyms:

   second, jiffy

3. an exact point in time; instant; moment.

   Come here this minute!

4. minutes, the official record of the proceedings at a meeting of a society, committee, or other group.

5. Chiefly British. a written summary, note, or memorandum.

6. a rough draft, as of a document.

7. Geometry. the sixtieth part of a degree of angular measure, often represented by the sign ′, as in 12° 10′, which is read as 12 degrees and 10 minutes.

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verb (used with object)

minuted, minuting

1. to time exactly, as movements or speed.

2. to make a draft of (a document or the like).

3. to record in a memorandum; note down.

4. to enter in the minutes of a meeting.

adjective

1. prepared in a very short time.

   minute pudding.

idioms

1. up to the minute, modern; up-to-date.

   The building design is up to the minute.

minute ² American  

[mahy-noot, -nyoot, mi-] / maɪˈnut, -ˈnyut, mɪ- /

adjective

minuter, minutest

1. extremely small, as in size, amount, extent, or degree.

   minute differences.

   Synonyms:

   minuscule, infinitesimal, tiny

   Antonyms:

   large

2. of minor importance; insignificant; trifling.

3. attentive to or concerned with even the smallest details.

   a minute examination.

   Synonyms:

   precise, exact, detailed

   Antonyms:

   general, rough

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minute ¹ British  

/ ˈmɪnɪt /

noun

1. a period of time equal to 60 seconds; one sixtieth of an hour

2. Also called: minute of arc.   ′.  a unit of angular measure equal to one sixtieth of a degree

3. any very short period of time; moment

4. a short note or memorandum

5. the distance that can be travelled in a minute

   it's only two minutes away

6. (up-to-the-minute when prenominal) very latest or newest

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verb

1. to record in minutes

   to minute a meeting

2. to time in terms of minutes

minute ² British  

/ maɪˈnjuːt /

adjective

1. very small; diminutive; tiny

2. unimportant; petty

3. precise or detailed

   a minute examination

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minute Scientific  

/ mĭn′ĭt /

1. A unit of time equal to 1/60 of an hour or 60 seconds.

2. ◆ A sidereal minute is 1/60 of a sidereal hour, and a mean solar minute is 1/60 of a mean solar hour.

3. See more at sidereal time solar time

4. A unit of angular measurement, such as longitude or right ascension, that is equal to 1/60 of a degree or 60 seconds.

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minute More Idioms  

1. see at the last minute; every minute counts; just a minute; mile a minute; wait a minute.

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Synonym Usage

Minute, instant, moment refer to small amounts of time. A minute, properly denoting 60 seconds, is often used loosely for any very short space of time (and may be interchangeable with second ): I'll be there in just a minute. An instant is practically a point in time, with no duration, though it is also used to mean a perceptible amount of time: not an instant's delay. Moment denotes much the same as instant, though with a somewhat greater sense of duration (but somewhat less than minute ): It will only take a moment.

See little.

Other Word Forms

• minuteness
  noun
• unminuted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of minute¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, Middle French, from Medieval Latin minūta, noun use of feminine of minūtus minute ²

Origin of minute²

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin minūtus (past participle of minuere “to make smaller or fewer”), equivalent to minū- verb stem + -tus past participle suffix; see minus, minor

Explanation

Craftsmen can paint whole villages or detailed portraits of people on a grain of rice using minute, or tiny, paintbrushes. Often the works of art are so minute that you can only see them with a magnifying glass. Minutus is the Latin word for "small," and it gave rise to both the adjective minute (my-NOOT), or incredibly small, and the noun minute (MIN-it), or 60 seconds of time. Though they are pronounced differently, both words refer to small measurements. An object can be minute, like a flea compared with its dog, and less concrete things can be minute, like your minute chance of winning the lottery. A minute freckle on the side of your nose is a minute detail of your whole face.

Example Sentences

“Wait a minute ... how long were we attached?”

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

He spent a full minute sniffing my legs and shoes, after coming up to Viana to be petted.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

I knew immediately I fit in and spent every spare minute there.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

He hasn't played a single minute since the end of January.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

With an apology to his wife and me, he hurried upstairs and in a minute we heard a game of hide-and-seek going and the shrill laughter of two children.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• infinitesimal
• microscopic
• minimal
• minuscule
• tiny