technical

American  

[tek-ni-kuhl] / ˈtɛk nɪ kəl /

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to an art, science, or the like.

   technical skill.

2. peculiar to or characteristic of a particular art, science, profession, trade, etc..

   technical details.

3. using terminology or treating subject matter in a manner peculiar to a particular field, as a writer or a book.

   a technical report.

4. skilled in or familiar in a practical way with a particular art, trade, etc., as a person.

5. of, relating to, or showing technique.

6. technically demanding or difficult.

   a technical violin sonata; a technical ski run.

7. designed or used for technically demanding sports or other activities.

   technical apparel.

8. pertaining to or connected with the mechanical or industrial arts and the applied sciences.

   a technical school.

9. so considered from a point of view in accordance with a stringent interpretation of the rules.

   a military engagement ending in a technical defeat.

10. concerned with or dwelling on technicalities.

    You're getting too technical for me.

11. noting a market in which prices are determined largely by supply and demand and other such internal factors rather than by general business, economic, or psychological factors that influence market activity.

    technical weakness or strength.

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technical British  

/ ˈtɛknɪkəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or specializing in industrial, practical, or mechanical arts and applied sciences

   a technical institute

2. skilled in practical and mechanical arts rather than theoretical or abstract thinking

3. relating to or characteristic of a particular field of activity

   the technical jargon of linguistics

4. existing by virtue of a strict application of the rules or a strict interpretation of the wording

   a technical loophole in the law

   a technical victory

5. of, derived from, or showing technique

   technical brilliance

6. (of a financial market) having prices determined by internal speculative or manipulative factors rather than by general or economic conditions

   a technical rally

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Other Word Forms

• hypertechnical adjective
• hypertechnicalness noun
• nontechnical adjective
• nontechnicalness noun
• overtechnical adjective
• pretechnical adjective
• quasi-technical adjective
• technically adverb
• technicalness noun
• untechnical adjective

Etymology

Origin of technical

First recorded in 1610–20; technic + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Olympian — to elevate Chalamet’s game as well as serve as technical advisors on set.

From Los Angeles Times

Chinese research submarines for the first time traveled thousands of feet beneath the Arctic ice this summer, a technical feat with chilling military and commercial implications for America and its allies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Quantum computing is advancing rapidly, with developers making significant technical and commercial progress toward useful machines.

From Barron's

The necessary technical advances are likely 15 to 20 years away, but research yields quick dividends.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jim is a former officer from my agency and we had some things in common because he had come from a technical discipline at the agency years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• high-tech
• industrial
• mechanical
• professional
• scholarly
• scientific
• special
• specialized
• technological
• vocational