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

Hickenlooper spoke for eight minutes, 49 seconds vs. former Vice President Joe Biden’s 21 minutes, 27 seconds. — Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, "Letters: Assessing the candidates’ goals; Show’s shocking revelations (8/9/19)," 9 Aug. 2019 Bake until pudding is set and top is beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Barbecued Chicken with Roasted Corn Pudding," 9 Aug. 2019 The ramp and bus deck can cut anywhere from five to 20 minutes, and occasionally more, off a trip. — Michael Cabanatuan, SFChronicle.com, "Bus service to return to Transbay transit center after 10 months," 8 Aug. 2019 About five or six minutes into the flight, Damasy said, Cutland unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door. — Sarah Tetaud, Mohammed Tawfeeq And Rob Picheta, CNN, "The body of a British teenager who fell mysteriously from a plane in Madagascar has been found," 7 Aug. 2019 Rivera opted to go for a two-point conversion the following week with 1 minute, 7 seconds remaining in Detroit. — Brad Biggs, chicagotribune.com, "Under pressure to win, Ron Rivera shifts the Panthers to the 3-4 defense: ‘I’m going to copy a whole bunch of people. I like what Chicago did.’," 7 Aug. 2019 Roast tomatoes 8 to 10 minutes, until just beginning to soften. — Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Lobster Fest indulges shellfish lovers for 3 days, while local restaurants feed the craving all year," 7 Aug. 2019 When someone can kill 9 people in a minute, that gun should never have been sold. — Caitlin Conant, CBS News, "2020 Daily Trail Markers: Dems respond to Trump remarks on mass shootings," 5 Aug. 2019 The bustling Walmart on the city’s east side, just minutes from the border with Mexico, exemplified those ties. — New York Times, "Walmart Store Connected Cultures, Until a Killer ‘Came Here for Us’," 3 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Within astrology, even the most minute details are significant. — Aliza Kelly, SELF, "If You're Asking If Astrology Is 'Real,' You're Missing the Point," 21 June 2019 His compositions combine minute nature close-ups with vast details — like Malick minus insight — which connects Reygadas to the superficial flashiness of his countryman Alfonso Cuarón. — Armond White, National Review, "Franco Zeffirelli: Unlikely Conservative Hero," 20 June 2019 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

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

That kind of dynamism where people are making the decisions minute to minute whether to work simply does not exist in the traditional employment framework. — Carolyn Said, SFChronicle.com, "Facing AB5, Uber’s Tony West discusses improving drivers’ lot," 11 July 2019 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.