minute

[ min-it ]

/ ˈmɪn ɪt /

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See synonyms for: minute / minuted / minutest / minutes on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

an indefinitely short space of time: Wait a minute!

an exact point in time; instant; moment: Come here this minute!

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

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

a rough draft, as of a document.

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.Compare angle¹ (def. 1c).

verb (used with object), min·ut·ed, min·ut·ing.

to time exactly, as movements or speed.

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

to record in a memorandum; note down.

to enter in the minutes of a meeting.

adjective

prepared in a very short time: minute pudding.

SYNONYMS FOR minute

2 jiffy, second.

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On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

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Idioms for minute

up to the minute, modern; up-to-date: The building design is up to the minute.

Origin of minute

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, Middle French, from Medieval Latin minūta, noun use of feminine of minūtus minute²

synonym study for minute

2. 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.

OTHER WORDS FROM minute

un·min·ut·ed, adjective

Definition for minute (2 of 2)

minute²

[ mahy-noot, -nyoot, mi- ]

/ maɪˈnut, -ˈnyut, mɪ- /

adjective, mi·nut·er, mi·nut·est.

extremely small, as in size, amount, extent, or degree: minute differences.

of minor importance; insignificant; trifling.

attentive to or concerned with even the smallest details: a minute examination.

SYNONYMS FOR minute

1 tiny, infinitesimal, minuscule.

3 detailed, exact, precise.

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ANTONYMS FOR minute

1 large.

3 rough, general.

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Origin of minute

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

synonym study for minute

See little.

OTHER WORDS FROM minute

mi·nute·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for minute

In the minuted records of the burgh, different cases occur of persons accused in accordance with this statute.
Archaeological Essays Vol. 2|James Y. Simpson
The incidents of each day are minuted down in a dry, unambitious style, bearing the clear impress of truth.
The Conspiracy of Pontiac and the Indian War after the Conquest of Canada|Francis Parkman
They thought he had dragged himself there, with some sore internal bruise sapping away his minuted life.
Half a Life-time Ago|Elizabeth Gaskell
With alacrity they minuted me on from one to another till I felt as if "passed to you, please" had been scrawled all over me.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 158, June 23, 1920|Various

Tom Murdock had seen them going in, and he minuted them by his silver hunting-watch--for he had one.
All-Hallow Eve; or, The Test of Futurity.|Robert Curtis

British Dictionary definitions for minute (1 of 2)

minute¹

/ (ˈmɪnɪt) /

noun

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

Also called: minute of arc a unit of angular measure equal to one sixtieth of a degreeSymbol: ′

any very short period of time; moment

a short note or memorandum

the distance that can be travelled in a minuteit's only two minutes away

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

verb (tr)

to record in minutesto minute a meeting

to time in terms of minutes

Word Origin for minute

C14: from Old French from Medieval Latin minūta, n. use of Latin minūtus minute ²