minutiae
Americanplural noun
plural noun
Usage
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 Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of minutiae
First recorded in 1745–55; from Latin, plural of minūtia “smallness, fineness,” equivalent to minūt(us) “small, tiny” + -ia; see origin at minute 2, -ia
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Big picture stuff can be just as helpful as the minutiae.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
Gorsuch at first refused to believe him, claiming greater expertise in the minutiae of the Mississippi code.
From Slate • Mar. 23, 2026
Mo Costello’s abstract photographs focus on the minutiae of everyday things like Aaron Siskind did, but more than three decades after that artist’s death these images feel uninspired.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
They display an innate curiosity and astonishing degrees of empathy, intelligence and perceptiveness, with subjects ranging from public and social institutions to cultural and specialized spaces and the minutiae of human interactions.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026
“Physically, chemically, historically—” “Historically,” he grinned, “Astound me with your grasp of historical minutiae, E’lir.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
