noun
-
a petty formal point arising from a strict interpretation of rules, etc
the case was dismissed on a technicality
-
the state or quality of being technical
-
technical methods and vocabulary
Other Word Forms
- hypertechnicality noun
- overtechnicality noun
Etymology
Origin of technicality
Explanation
A technicality is a trivial or very small detail. You might consider your scuffed, unpolished shoes to be an unimportant technicality when you're dressing for a job interview. You can use the noun technicality for any small point or detail, but it's most likely to come up in the context of a court trial or a conversation with an attorney. A legal technicality is a small but ultimately important detail of the law. For example, a robbery suspect might have his trial dismissed on a legal technicality if the arresting police officer neglected to show him a search warrant before searching his house.
Vocabulary lists containing technicality
Guts
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Just Mercy
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
In recent weeks, however, the spy case collapsed over a seeming legal technicality.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025
She claimed she was "expelled on a technicality" after years of internally campaigning for the party to treat "sex as a protected characteristic".
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2025
But that technicality didn’t dampen the spirits of Sovereignty’s trainer, Bill Mott, after the race.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2025
Although a technicality kept "Wicked"'s music from receiving recognition in the way it deserved on Oscar night, it doesn't strip Erivo, Grande and even Bailey's originality in their star-making performances.
From Salon • Mar. 2, 2025
His freedom wouldn't be based on some tricky legal loophole or the exploitation of a technicality.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
