minutiae
Americanplural noun
singular
minutiaplural 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
- minutial adjective
Etymology
Origin of minutiae
First recorded in 1745–55; from Latin, plural of minūtia “smallness, fineness,” equivalent to minūt(us) “small, tiny” + -ia; 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.
Asked whether the Palisades should be spared from permit fees for grading, pools or retaining walls, she responded: “I can’t say that,” calling such details “minutiae.”
From Los Angeles Times
Ella is fiercely committed to her job, burrowing into the minutiae of legislation to become deeply connected to it emotionally.
From Los Angeles Times
Baumbach has always had an impeccable sense of detail, understanding the tiniest minutiae of behavior and character psychology.
From Los Angeles Times
The result is a window into the pleasures of friendship and those days when the minutiae of your loved ones seems like the stuff that true connection is built on.
From Los Angeles Times
But in focusing on the minutiae of what happened and recommending mostly narrow or technical improvements, it failed to answer the deeper question: “Why, after all these years, don’t we do this any better?”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
