granular

adjective

gran·​u·​lar ˈgran-yə-lər 

1

: consisting of or appearing to consist of granules : grainy

2

: finely detailed

granular reports

granularity

ˌgran-yə-ˈler-ə-tē 

noun

Synonyms of granular

• coarse
• grained
• granulated
• sandy

Examples of granular in a Sentence

icy, granular snow makes for terrible skiing—if you can, ski on light, powdery snow

Recent Examples on the Web

Statutes can be comprehensive and prospective; their language can be iterative, granular, and versatile. —Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026

The federal hearing is not expected to get as granular as the weekslong pretrial hearing in Mangione’s state case. —Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026

All of them embrace an almost throwback vibe of granular emotion well outside the realm of machine intelligence. —Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026

Her tool of choice is granular synthesis, which, as its name suggests, allows for the manipulation of sound at the quasi-atomic level. —Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see granule

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing granular

• non-granular

Rhymes for granular

• annular
• intergranular

Kids Definition

granular

adjective

gran·​u·​lar ˈgran-yə-lər 

1

: consisting of grains

2

: having a grainy structure, feel, or appearance

granularity

ˌgran-yə-ˈlar-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

granular

adjective

gran·​u·​lar ˈgran-yə-lər 

1

a

: consisting of or containing granules : having a grainy texture

b

: having granules with an affinity for specific biological stains

granular cytoplasm

2

: having or marked by granulations

granular tissue

granularity

ˌgran-yə-ˈlar-ət-ē 

noun

plural granularities