minute

noun

min·ute | \ ˈmi-nət

Definition of minute

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : the 60th part of an hour of time : 60 seconds

b : the 60th part of a degree of angular measure Its latitude is 41 degrees 55 minute north.

2 : the distance one can traverse in a minute Five minutes down the road is a gas station.

3 : a short space of time : moment Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes.

4a : a brief note (as of summary or recommendation) He received a minute of instructions.

b : memorandum, draft sent the president a minute explaining the problem

c minutes plural : the official record of the proceedings of a meeting The secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting.

minute

adjective

mi·nute | \ mī-ˈnüt ,

mə- , -ˈnyüt \

minuter; minutest

Definition of minute (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : very small : infinitesimal

2 : of small importance : trifling

3 : marked by close attention to details

minute

verb

min·ute | \ ˈmi-nət

minuted; minuting

Definition of minute (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

: to make notes or a brief summary of

Other Words from minute Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about minute

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Choose the Right Synonym for minute

Adjective

small, little, diminutive, minute, tiny, miniature mean noticeably below average in size. small and little are often interchangeable, but small applies more to relative size determined by capacity, value, number. a relatively small backyard little is more absolute in implication often carrying the idea of petiteness, pettiness, insignificance, or immaturity. your pathetic little smile diminutive implies abnormal smallness. diminutive bonsai plants minute implies extreme smallness. a minute amount of caffeine in the soda tiny is an informal equivalent to minute. tiny cracks formed in the painting miniature applies to an exactly proportioned reproduction on a very small scale. a dollhouse with miniature furnishings

circumstantial, minute, particular, detailed mean dealing with a matter fully and usually point by point. circumstantial implies fullness of detail that fixes something described in time and space. a circumstantial account of our visit minute implies close and searching attention to the smallest details. a minute examination of a fossil particular implies a precise attention to every detail. a particular description of the scene of the crime detailed stresses abundance or completeness of detail. a detailed analysis of the event

Examples of minute in a Sentence

Noun

Bake the cake for 25–30 minutes. We waited for several minutes, but no one came to the door. I saw him a minute ago. Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes. One minute it was sunny, the next it was pouring rain. My house is just a few minutes from here. The secretary read the minutes of the last meeting.

Adjective

There were minute particles of dust in the air. The test detected minute amounts of contamination. The equipment is able to detect the minutest errors. She told him what happened in minute detail. a minute examination of the evidence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

From the moment Kieran Trippier stroked in a beautiful free kick in the fifth minute until Ivan Perisic converted a highly-skilled equalizer with 22 minutes of regulation remaining, a spot in the final was England’s to lose. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "Why England's World Cup pain hurts so much," 11 July 2018 The Sparks went ahead by 10 in the first minute of the second quarter before the Storm clawed back to keep the score a two-possession game for most of the rest of the half. — Alexa Philippou, The Seattle Times, "Storm’s win streak ends at five with a 77-75 defeat to the Los Angeles Sparks," 10 July 2018 There was probably 5-10 minutes of silence at the table, which is rare at my house. — refinery29.com, "The Best Meal Famed Chef José Andrés Has Ever Eaten Was A Humble Potato," 10 July 2018 When Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne earned a free kick in the 88th minute of the game, tensions rose at the park as dozens of Belgium fans — clearly outnumbering France supporters — held their breath. — Sarah Ravani, SFChronicle.com, "French connection: Fans flock to San Francisco’s World Cup watch party," 10 July 2018 As Allure reported, the couple was spotted over the weekend at a New York City Sephora store, and by all accounts, were loving every minute of it. — Zoë Weiner, Teen Vogue, "Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson Go Shopping Together at Sephora," 2 July 2018 At least 20 minutes of fireworks synchronized to music on KyXy 96.5 FM Radio will start at 9 p.m. — Ramona Sentinel, "Our Town Calendar of Events: June 28-July 3," 27 June 2018 Which means a single minute of high quality stereo sound could be stored for just under $100,000. — Megan Molteni, WIRED, "The Rise of DNA Data Storage," 26 June 2018 The Iranians had just tied their match with Portugal in the third minute of stoppage time on a video-review turned penalty kick. — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, "Portugal, Spain Survive Late-Game Chaos to Advance," 25 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

At its farm in Paterson, Wash., Lamb Weston grows half a dozen potato varieties on 20,000 irrigated acres, tracking even the most minute differences in hydration, temperature and other environmental factors. — Rachel Abrams, New York Times, "A French Fry Gets Soggy in 5 Minutes. This Company Wants to Keep It Crispy for 60.," 29 June 2018 Hobson did the same for each category, hunting down the minutest detail for each nominee. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Here's the Man Behind the Oscar Nomination Sequences," 23 Feb. 2015 At its farm in Paterson, Benton County, Lamb Weston grows half a dozen potato varieties on 20,000 irrigated acres, tracking even the most minute differences in hydration, temperature and other environmental factors. — Rachel Abrams, The Seattle Times, "Out of the fryer and into the Uber car: Idaho-based Lamb Weston trying to deliver crispy fries," 3 July 2018 Everything was thought out down to the most minute detail. — Steven J. Horowitz, Billboard, "Michelle Williams Explains How Destiny's Child Reunion Came Together For Beyonce's Coachella Performance," 24 Apr. 2018 In a grainy, minute-long video posted online by Lansdale police, the man is seen crossing North Broad Street and 7th Street. — Katie Park, Philly.com, "Police investigating the death of a popular Montgomery County barber want to know who this man is," 30 May 2018 Beginning with Frederick Taylor at the turn of the 20th century, management consultants have boosted output by analyzing and standardizing the most minute movements of their workers. — Eoin O'carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, "Can your boss make you wear a Fitbit?," 15 Mar. 2018 From self-lacing sneakers to chairs that park themselves at desks, high-tech conveniences have arrived to eliminate the minutest hassles of everyday life. — NBC News, "Watch these self-driving slippers park themselves at the push of a button," 13 Feb. 2018 Arguably the greatest singer of the 20th century, Callas — eerily, well, radiant in a white satiny gown and rich red stole — was recreated for the occasion, down to the minutest movements of her hands and the subtlest facial gestures. — Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, "What a Hologram of Maria Callas Can Teach Us About Opera," 15 Jan. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The turn of Slender-White’s head or the flick of Burns’ hand drew intense scrutiny, and the mind reeled at artists who would devote themselves to creating so minute a masterwork. — Claudia Bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "2017 in review: a year of expanding boundaries in dance," 29 Dec. 2017 Hoffenheim came out the better in the second half and played some exceptional football in this match, however in the 62nd minute their good work was undone when defender Stefan Posch brought down Kagawa in the box, and Dortmund had a penalty. — SI.com, "Borussia Dortmund 2-1 TSG Hoffenheim: Late Christian Pulisic Strike Seals Hard-Fought Win for BVB," 16 Dec. 2017 It wasn't meant to be followed on a day to day, minute to minute basis. — Danielle Ofri, Slate Magazine, "Should Doctors Treat Trump Anxiety?," 19 Jan. 2017 A 1929 Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer took first prize overall at the annual event, winning top honors for its owner’s dedication to minute details of authenticity and provenance. — Hannah Elliott, Bloomberg.com, "Get Up Close and Personal With the World’s Top Classic Cars," 21 Aug. 2017 These include various breathing and visualization exercises, and also work with eye positions—based on the theory that different emotions correlate to minute variations in the direction of gaze. — Matthew Green, Newsweek, "A Radical New Therapy Could Treat the 'Untreatable' Victims of Trauma," 23 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'minute.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.