mince

1 of 2

verb

minced; mincing

transitive verb

1
a
: to cut or chop into very small pieces
She minced the garlic.
b
: to subdivide minutely
especially : to damage by cutting up
The director minced up the play.
2
: to utter or pronounce with affectation
minced the word in the manner of the old lady
3
a
archaic : minimize
b
: to restrain (words) within the bounds of decorum
minced no words in stating his dislikeJ. T. Farrell

intransitive verb

: to walk with short steps in a prim affected manner
The comedian minced across the stage.
mincer noun

mince

2 of 2

noun

1
: small chopped bits (as of food)
specifically : mincemeat
2
British : hamburger sense 1a

Examples of mince in a Sentence

Verb She minced the onions. minced some garlic and added it to the stew
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The Writers Guild of America East did not mince its words when addressing the news that Vox Media had sold video game website Polygon, reportedly resulting in mass layoffs. Katie Campione, Deadline, 2 May 2025 The 81-year-old acting legend didn't mince words when asked about his daughter's recent announcement. Shania Russell, EW.com, 1 May 2025 When asked about the emotional and physical impact of the events, Punk didn't mince words, drawing upon his long and often rocky history with Heyman. Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025 DeRozan didn’t mince words when asked which factors will be weighing on his mind this summer. Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mince

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French mincer, from Vulgar Latin *minutiare, from Latin minutia smallness — more at minutia

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mince was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mince.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mince. Accessed 17 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

mince

1 of 2 verb
minced; mincing
1
: to cut into very small pieces
2
: to act, walk, or speak in an unnaturally dainty way
mincingly
ˈmin(t)-siŋ-lē
adverb

mince

2 of 2 noun
: small bits into which something is chopped
especially : mincemeat

More from Merriam-Webster on mince

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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