technicality

noun

tech·​ni·​cal·​i·​ty ˌtek-nə-ˈka-lə-tē 

plural technicalities

1

: something technical

especially : a detail meaningful only to a specialist

a legal technicality

2

: the quality or state of being technical

Examples of technicality in a Sentence

These cases were dropped because of legal technicalities.

Recent Examples on the Web

Agreeing with a public defender’s motion detailing the jail’s conditions and a technicality about an old offense that shouldn’t count towards McClure’s record, Cullen reduced the sentence from 57 to 71 months in prison to 48 months. —Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2025

Same goes for schools that have questions about the technicalities of IDEA, or, in many cases, parents looking to file a civil rights complaint. —Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025

Less than four months later, though, a California judge stopped her in her tracks, dismissing her entire complaint on a technicality. —Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025

Forwards Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild The new deal doesn’t kick in until next season, but that’s a technicality. —Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

technical entry 1 + -ity

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for technicality

• abnormality
• cardinality
• commonality
• communality
• cordiality
• corporeality
• criminality
• criticality
• functionality
• generality
• geniality
• hospitality

Kids Definition

technicality

noun

tech·​ni·​cal·​i·​ty ˌtek-nə-ˈkal-ət-ē 

plural technicalities

1

: something technical

especially : a detail that means something only to a specialist

a legal technicality

2

: the quality or state of being technical