detailed
Americanadjective
-
having many details.
a detailed problem.
- Synonyms:
- complicated, complex, involved
-
thorough in the treatment of details; minute.
a detailed report.
- Synonyms:
- comprehensive, thorough, exhaustive
adjective
Other Word Forms
- detailedly adverb
- detailedness noun
- nondetailed adjective
- overdetailed adjective
- undetailed adjective
Etymology
Origin of detailed
Explanation
Use the adjective detailed when you're talking about something that's full of specific points or facts. A detailed weather report includes temperature, cloud cover, and the possibility of rain. Something that's detailed is focused on the fine points or small aspects — a detailed portrait of your grandmother includes every wisp of hair and subtle shade of skin. Detailed explanations take some time, because the person doing the explaining isn't leaving any detail out. The literal Old French meaning of the noun detail is "a cutting in pieces," and it's used to mean "small piece or quantity."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This detailed approach helped researchers connect mental sharpness directly to real-world outcomes rather than relying on general averages.
From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026
After years of research, scientists have an answer, with a new, detailed national map of groundwater.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security, which includes Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the arrests and declined to answer detailed questions from ProPublica and FRONTLINE.
From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026
The vote followed a weekslong debate, detailed recently by The Wall Street Journal, that included allegations of campaign signs being stolen from yards in the town of roughly 18,000 residents.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Roosevelt still worried about the time involved in making a detailed map—not to mention the time lost in building the portage.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
