technicality

American  

[tek-ni-kal-i-tee] / ˌtɛk nɪˈkæl ɪ ti /

noun

PLURAL

technicalities

1. technical character.

2. the use of technical methods or terms.

3. something that is technical; a technical point, detail, or expression.

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technicality British  

/ ˌtɛknɪˈkælɪtɪ /

noun

1. a petty formal point arising from a strict interpretation of rules, etc

   the case was dismissed on a technicality

2. the state or quality of being technical

3. technical methods and vocabulary

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Other Word Forms

• hypertechnicality noun
• overtechnicality noun

Etymology

Origin of technicality

First recorded in 1805–15; technical + -ity

Example Sentences

“It is not just a technicality. It is a foundational obstacle,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Second, because of legislative technicalities, high earners will get an approximately 5.4% haircut on their total itemized deductions.

From Barron's

“The ruling was based on a legal technicality,” Hale said.

From Los Angeles Times

Undeterred, Israel’s adversaries have evaded this mere technicality by allowing the Palestinian Authority to accede to the ICC treaty as a “state,” thereby conferring jurisdiction over crimes purportedly committed in the Gaza Strip.

From The Wall Street Journal

Those credits cost banks less but come with technicalities that suck up consumers’ time.

From The Wall Street Journal