Definition of detailednext
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detailed

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verb

past tense of detail

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective detailed differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of detailed are circumstantial, minute, and particular. While all these words mean "dealing with a matter fully and usually point by point," detailed stresses abundance or completeness of detail.

a detailed analysis of the event

When might circumstantial be a better fit than detailed?

Although the words circumstantial and detailed have much in common, circumstantial implies fullness of detail that fixes something described in time and space.

a circumstantial account of our visit

In what contexts can minute take the place of detailed?

The words minute and detailed can be used in similar contexts, but minute implies close and searching attention to the smallest details.

a minute examination of a fossil

When could particular be used to replace detailed?

The meanings of particular and detailed largely overlap; however, particular implies a precise attention to every detail.

a particular description of the scene of the crime

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of detailed
Adjective
And the new view gives us a very detailed look at the nebula. Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2026 City staff also recommended that the developer prepare a detailed construction plan before receiving building permits. Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
The singer detailed her decision to call off engagement from music producer Justin Long last year. Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026 Hochman detailed a number of prosecutions, including the sentence of one man to a life sentence plus seven years with the possibility of parole for a March 23 attack, during which racial epithets were uttered. City News Service, Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detailed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detailed
Adjective
  • The most thorough study of day trading, following every trader in Taiwan for fifteen years, found that the large majority lose money and fewer than one in a hundred make a reliable profit after costs.
    Daniel Schlaepfer, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Following last year’s automatic reactor shutdowns, EDF conducted a thorough safety review alongside the World Association of Nuclear Operators.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The lab's advanced technology, including 64 Vicon cameras, allows for intricate action and dance choreography, even blending with AI for real-time animation, and has attracted international gaming projects.
    Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Like Dante, Nick Tosches was an undaunted character whose tongue-twisting prose was an iconoclastic mash-up of realism and intricate, erudite lyricism.
    A.D. Amorosi, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • With another peak in the ’80s thanks to films like Risky Business and Top Gun, the sunglasses continue to dominate pop culture today—just ask rapper A$AP Rocky, who was appointed the brand’s first-ever creative director in 2025.
    Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Hyde-Smith, first appointed and then elected in 2018, is using a familiar playbook of portraying her Democratic opponent as too liberal for Mississippi.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • She was nominated for a Genie Award for her performance in the supporting actress category.
    Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2026
  • That delay also explains why McConaughey has had other projects that filmed later on, like Paul Greengrass’ Oscar-nominated The Lost Bus, already reach the public.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • That Chansiri squandered that vast backing can be listed among his abundant failings.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The backstory The Pocketbook Factory, established in 1885, was an entire city block of textile manufacturing that operated until 1978 and is now listed on the National Historic Register.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Similarly, loading up the XI for the opener away to Fulham with players who have enjoyed the benefits of a full pre-season makes sense, too.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Regal Cinemas, for example, has 4DX auditoriums with multisensory enhancements that bring the film world into the real world with full-body immersion synced up with the on-screen action.
    Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Pairing a great rug with an elaborate window treatment or statement sofa.
    Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Administration officials and members of the media unknowingly flew on a decoy plane — all part of an elaborate ruse prompted by an Iranian threat.
    Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Crowley has raised more than $775,000 -- more than double what Hong posted during the same period in July, according to a pre-primary campaign finance report.
    Gaby Vinick, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • On the flip side, when there was a flood in the lobby, one creator, who happened to be there, posted on social media.
    Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Detailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detailed. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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