minutiae

[ mi-noo-shee-ee, mi-noo-shuh, -shee-uh, -nyoo- ]
See synonyms for: minutiaeminutia on Thesaurus.com

plural noun,singular mi·nu·ti·a [mi-noo-shuh, -shee-uh, -nyoo-]. /mɪˈnu ʃə, -ʃi ə, -ˈnyu-/.
  1. precise details; small or trifling matters: the minutiae of his craft.

Origin of minutiae

1
First recorded in 1745–55; from Latin, plural of minūtia “smallness, fineness,” equivalent to minūt(us) “small, tiny” + -ia; see origin at minute2, -ia

usage note For minutiae

Minutia, the singular form meaning “a precise detail; a small or trifling matter” is much less common than the plural. However, this singular form is often used in place of the plural form minutiae , with the same plural meaning and plural verb: She has a great facility for remembering minutia that are relevant to the conversation. And the plural form minutiae is sometimes used as a collective noun with a singular verb: The minutiae of daily life is the stuff that anchors us and gives us a sense of purpose. Both of these usages have been criticized in style guides.

Other words from minutiae

  • mi·nu·ti·al, adjective

Words Nearby minutiae

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

How to use minutiae in a sentence

  • I am very close and careful you see, in all minutiae; always was,—pave 'em with rubbish and stones, 6d.

    The Caxtons, Complete | Edward Bulwer-Lytton
  • There is no need to go through the minutiae of the struggle.

  • This Sunday morning she was very busy with domestic minutiae.

    New Grub Street | George Gissing
  • She seemed to understand his trials by instinct, and even the minutiae of his work made themselves curiously clear to her.

    That Lass O' Lowrie's | Frances Hodgson Burnett

British Dictionary definitions for minutiae

minutiae

/ (mɪˈnjuːʃɪˌiː) /


pl nsingular -tia (-ʃɪə)
  1. small, precise, or trifling details

Origin of minutiae

1
C18: pl of Late Latin minūtia smallness, from Latin minūtus minute ²

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