minute

1
[ min-it ]
See synonyms for: minuteminutedminutestminutes on Thesaurus.com

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

  2. an indefinitely short space of time: Wait a minute!

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

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

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

  4. a rough draft, as of a document.

  5. 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.
  1. to time exactly, as movements or speed.

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

  1. to record in a memorandum; note down.

  2. to enter in the minutes of a meeting.

adjective
  1. prepared in a very short time: minute pudding.

Idioms about minute

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

Origin of minute

1
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 for minute

Other words from minute

  • un·min·ut·ed, adjective

Other definitions for minute (2 of 2)

minute2
[ mahy-noot, -nyoot, mi- ]

adjective,mi·nut·er, mi·nut·est.
  1. extremely small, as in size, amount, extent, or degree: minute differences.

  2. of minor importance; insignificant; trifling.

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

Origin of minute

2
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 for minute

Opposites for minute

Other words from minute

  • mi·nute·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use minute in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for minute (1 of 2)

minute1

/ (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: Symbol:

  1. any very short period of time; moment

  2. a short note or memorandum

  3. the distance that can be travelled in a minute: it's only two minutes away

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

verb(tr)
  1. to record in minutes: to minute a meeting

  2. to time in terms of minutes

Origin of minute

1
C14: from Old French from Medieval Latin minūta, n. use of Latin minūtus minute ²

British Dictionary definitions for minute (2 of 2)

minute2

/ (maɪˈnjuːt) /


adjective
  1. very small; diminutive; tiny

  2. unimportant; petty

  1. precise or detailed: a minute examination

Origin of minute

2
C15: from Latin minūtus, past participle of minuere to diminish

Derived forms of minute

  • minuteness, 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

Scientific definitions for minute

minute

[ mĭnĭt ]


  1. A unit of time equal to 160 of an hour or 60 seconds.♦ A sidereal minute is 160 of a sidereal hour, and a mean solar minute is 160 of a mean solar hour. See more at sidereal time solar time.

  2. A unit of angular measurement, such as longitude or right ascension, that is equal to 160 of a degree or 60 seconds.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with minute

minute

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

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.