minute

noun

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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 Phrases Containing minute Learn More About minute

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 See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Southington wasn’t done, and fought back to re-tie the game and take the lead with just more than a minute left. — Steve Smith, Hartford Courant, 19 May 2022 Dallas pulled within single digits with a little more than a minute left. — Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 3 May 2022 Defensemen Thomas Harley and Joel Hanley scored second-period goals for Dallas, and Vladislav Namestikov scored into an empty net with a minute left. — Larry Bump, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2022 Houston had a first-and-goal from the 10 with a minute left, but after three plays gained one yard. — Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press, 17 Apr. 2022 And yet, the game still came down to the final minutes after Cleveland, which had trailed by 20 points after the first quarter and then by 22 in the third, cut its deficit to 6 with a just over a minute left. — New York Times, 13 Apr. 2022 The Wolfpack tied the score on a layup by Elissa Cunane with a little more than a minute left. — Tom Schad, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2022 With the Whalers nursing a five-point lead and in possession of the ball with less than half a minute left on the clock, Wolgemuth didn’t want her scorching-hot night to stop. — Josh Reed, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Mar. 2022 Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Matthews hit big threes in the final 3 minutes, 37 seconds and Antetokounmpo hit a jump hook with 1:04 left to flip a 123-120 Kings lead to a 131-126 Bucks advantage with a minute left. — Jim Owczarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Eating the food confirmed a heap of differences, which meant the models had become a kind of growing physical archive of Japanese cuisine, documenting minute regional differences with every new custom order. — New York Times, 20 Apr. 2022 This is how minute the differences from one house to the other can feel throughout. — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2022 While there was initial speculation that material released by Hunga Tonga could have a similar effect, some experts were quick to point to the magnitude of its release being simply too comparatively minute. — Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2022 The awkwardness of their early interactions make up the beginnings of blood, which relishes the minute details of people getting to know one another. — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan. 2022 That’s crucial when multi-minute exposures could risk his life. — Wes Siler, Outside Online, 25 Jan. 2019 The kind of faithful customers who knew the menu by heart, who knew when any alterations were made to a dish, no matter how minute. — Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2021 Because judges are the arbiters of any restrictions, though, enormous resources are devoted to the minute scrutiny of irrelevant technicalities. — Samuel Goldman, The Week, 2 Sep. 2021 Her firm helps clients such as Target and Amazon measure consumer sentiment toward new products and concepts, including how the minute details of packaging design influence shoppers’ thoughts and choices. — Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 22 Nov. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Rosters change from hour to hour and minute to minute as players enter or leave the NBA’s health and safety protocols. — Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2021 The first aspects of the Golden Door approach will be visible starting in January 2022 on SQ 37, the carrier’s Los Angeles to Singapore 17 hour/50 minute nonstop, and progressively added to New York and San Francisco nonstops in the second quarter. — Laurie Werner, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2021 Extremely disturbing is that many of these pesticides have active ingredients that are highly toxic to bees, and also to minute pirate bugs, lacewings and predatory mites or spiders that help us in our fight against this and other pests. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2021 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, 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, 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, 16 Dec. 2017 It wasn't meant to be followed on a day to day, minute to minute basis. — Danielle Ofri, Slate Magazine, 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, 21 Aug. 2017 See More

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.