Word of the Day
: June 10, 2025minutia
playWhat It Means
Minutia refers to a small or minor detail. It is usually used in its plural form minutiae.
// Unaccustomed to legalese, I was bewildered by the contract's minutiae.
minutia in Context
“The novel is an intricate thatch of corkscrew twists, vivid characters, dead-on colloquial dialogue, and lawyerly minutiae that culminates in a courtroom showdown worthy of Dominick Dunne.” — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 1 Apr. 2025
Did You Know?
We’ll try not to bore you with the minor details of minutia, though some things are worth noting about the word’s history and usage. It’ll only take a minute! Minutia was borrowed into English in the 18th century from the Latin plural noun minutiae, meaning “trifles” or “details,” which comes from the singular noun minutia, meaning “smallness.” In English, minutia is most often used in the plural as either minutiae (pronounced \muh-NOO-shee-ee\) or, on occasion, as simply minutia. The Latin minutia, incidentally, comes from minutus (also the ancestor of the familiar English word minute), an adjective meaning “small” that was created from the verb minuere, meaning “to lessen.”
Test Your Vocabulary with M-W Quizzes
Test Your Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks to complete a plural noun for minor items (such as expenses): _ _ c _ d _ n _ a _ s.
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