technicality

[tek-ni-kal-i-tee]

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.

technicality

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• hypertechnicality noun
• overtechnicality noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of technicality¹

First recorded in 1805–15; technical + -ity

Example Sentences

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

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

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

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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.

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

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