minute 1 of 3

minute

2 of 3

adjective

1
2
3
4
5

minute

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective minute differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of minute are circumstantial, detailed, and particular. While all these words mean "dealing with a matter fully and usually point by point," minute implies close and searching attention to the smallest details.

a minute examination of a fossil

In what contexts can circumstantial take the place of minute?

The synonyms circumstantial and minute are sometimes interchangeable, but circumstantial implies fullness of detail that fixes something described in time and space.

a circumstantial account of our visit

When might detailed be a better fit than minute?

Although the words detailed and minute have much in common, detailed stresses abundance or completeness of detail.

a detailed analysis of the event

When is particular a more appropriate choice than minute?

The words particular and minute can be used in similar contexts, but 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 minute
Noun
Significant improvements are still needed, however, as someone in the country is dying of stroke about every three minutes. Daryl Austin, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025 What’s the statistic there, the average ER physician has to see a patient every three to four minutes? Adam B. Vary, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Moreover, the judges noted, forbidding the use of chemicals that carry a minute risk of cancer might prompt manufacturers to use compounds that are more toxic, albeit in noncancerous ways. Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025 Despite the passage of time, the first coordinator of the state’s investigation into the Rhoden deaths can recall minute details of the crimes without notes. Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for minute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for minute
Noun
  • Quickly Florida parlayed a power play into a 1-1 knot just 11 seconds into the advantage on Carter Verhaeghe’s close backhander 5:21 into the game.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 1 May 2025
  • From walking across one of the smallest countries, Tuvalu, in less than 60 seconds, to sleeping on the Great Wall of China, the married couple has visited 197 countries in just eight years.
    Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • The teen, who hails from the English city of Chelmsford, underwent more detailed scans at his follow-up appointment, when doctors discovered a large tumor in his brain — a diffuse glioma, stage 4.
    Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Creating Strategy Without Meaning Many leaders mistake detailed strategic plans for true vision.
    Nirmal Chhabria, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Obstetricians say, at the end of the day, AFE is really just a product of bad luck, and there's little that can be done to prevent it.
    Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
  • In it is an über-posh upholstered bed—a slightly ironic addition for a professional who seems to leave little time for rest.
    Mel Studach, Architectural Digest, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • As the Signal chats showed, there are differences of opinion within Trump’s national-security team, and much more serious friction with the administration’s nominal allies in Europe.
    Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The new duties raise the nominal U.S. tariff rate on China to 54%.
    Alain Sherter, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Our physical body is the antenna for all of these sensations; a relaxed, thawed body can pick up more subtle signals.
    Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
  • There are subtle peacock tail motifs throughout the hotel, from the geometric patterns in intricate kumiko woodwork headboards to Japanese washi paper designs in the elevator.
    Amber Gibson, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Follicle cysts form when the tiny sac (called a follicle) that houses the maturing egg during your cycle doesn’t break open as usual to release said egg.
    Korin Miller, SELF, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Because of the unique position of the pope, a cleric with his own tiny state and significant global influence, the book is also a chronicle of contemporary international affairs.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In its open beta last year, Moto AI could summarize your notifications with the Catch Me Up feature, while the Pay Attention feature could transcribe meetings.
    Iyaz Akhtar, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
  • In early August 2019, Bloomberg News published a story revealing how Facebook had contracted an external company to transcribe audio conversations conducted through the Facebook Messenger app.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • These types of bird behaviors and unexpected sightings prompt me to capture more amazing moments and share my visual stories.
    Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • Yet Philadelphia officials must still decide in this moment whether to stand strong with the city’s current sanctuary policies.
    Jennifer J. Lee, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Minute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/minute. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on minute

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!