minutia

noun

mi·​nu·​tia mə-ˈnü-sh(ē-)ə 

mī-,

-ˈnyü-

plural minutiae mə-ˈnü-shē-ˌē 

-ˌī,

mī-,

-ˈnyü-,

-sh(ē-)ə

: a minute or minor detail

—usually used in plural

He was bewildered by the contract's minutiae.

Did you know?

Minutia Has Latin Roots

Minutia was borrowed into English in the 18th century from the Latin plural noun minutiae, meaning "trifles" or "details," and derived from the singular noun minutia, meaning "smallness." In English, minutia is most often used in the plural as either minutiae (pronounced \muh-NOO-shee-ee) or, on occasion, as simply minutia. The Latin minutia, incidentally, comes from minutus, an adjective meaning "small" that was created from the verb minuere, meaning "to lessen." A familiar descendant of minutus is minute.

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How to Pronounce Minutia and Minutiae

Minutiae, we’ve established, is the plural of minutia and also far more common in prose than the singular minutia. There is, however, confusion over the pronunciation of both the singular and the plural, and the confusion may be leading some to use the singular minutia where the plural minutiae is called for. Minutia, the singular, is generally pronounced \muh-NOO-shee-uh\ or \muh-NOO-shuh\, and the plural minutiae should be properly pronounced \muh-NOO-shee-ee\. But transcripts of spoken English show that this is not always adhered to: minutia shows up in transcribed speech far more often than it does in edited writing, and usually in places where one would expect minutiae. This leads us to believe that the pronunciation of minutiae is merging with the pronunciation of minutia, or that minutia is being re-analyzed as a zero plural.

Examples of minutia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Minsk agreements signed in 2014 and 2015 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and invasion of the Donbas covered minutiae such as the date and time of the cessation of hostilities and which weapons system should be withdrawn by what distance. —Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024

The issue featured an immersion into the practical minutiae of a polycule (a polyamorous group of interconnected individuals). —Scott Hocker, theweek, 1 Feb. 2024

From there, Satoshi Bot watches the vast, volatile crypto market, analyzing minutiae with impressive speed and accuracy. —Ascend Agency, Baltimore Sun, 1 Mar. 2024

The three-hour play puts a documentary-style focus on the process, peppered with the technical minutiae of audio engineering, naturalistic dialogue and the playing of songs on the set consisting of a soundproof recording studio and a control room. —Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin minutiae trifles, details, from plural of minutia smallness, from minutus

First Known Use

1748, in the meaning defined above

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