detailed
Americanadjective
-
having many details.
a detailed problem.
- Synonyms:
- complicated, complex, involved
-
thorough in the treatment of details; minute.
a detailed report.
- Synonyms:
- comprehensive, thorough, exhaustive
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of detailed
Explanation
Use the adjective detailed when you're talking about something that's full of specific points or facts. A detailed weather report includes temperature, cloud cover, and the possibility of rain. Something that's detailed is focused on the fine points or small aspects — a detailed portrait of your grandmother includes every wisp of hair and subtle shade of skin. Detailed explanations take some time, because the person doing the explaining isn't leaving any detail out. The literal Old French meaning of the noun detail is "a cutting in pieces," and it's used to mean "small piece or quantity."
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.
Ms. Borgman doesn’t—and likely wouldn’t—make use of the recently released, gruesomely detailed autopsy reports on the killings, documentation that was probably unavailable during production anyway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
In 2018, one detailed study of the Los Angeles Unified School District found that 55% of its costs were fixed.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
In text chains detailed in the motion, agents discussed “soft counts” of “possibles” based on location drive-bys and “roaming.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"However, this announcement sets out a direction of travel rather than detailed proposals, and schools will need much greater clarity about what it means in practice and over funding," he added.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
In 1958, Dr. Derek J. de Solla Price, a physicist and highly respected science historian, made the first truly detailed study of the object.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
