minutiae

[ mi-noo-shee-ee, mi-noo-shuh, -shee-uh, -nyoo- ]

plural noun

, singular mi·nu·ti·a [mi-, noo, -sh, uh, -shee-, uh, -, nyoo, -].

1. precise details; small or trifling matters:

   the minutiae of his craft.

minutiae

/ mɪˈnjuːʃɪˌiː /

plural noun

1. small, precise, or trifling details

Usage Note

Minutia, the singular form meaning “a precise detail; a small or trifling matter” is much less common than the plural. However, this singular form is often used in place of the plural form minutiae , with the same plural meaning and plural verb: She has a great facility for remembering minutia that are relevant to the conversation. And the plural form minutiae is sometimes used as a collective noun with a singular verb: The minutiae of daily life is the stuff that anchors us and gives us a sense of purpose. Both of these usages have been criticized in style guides.

Other Words From

• mi·nu·ti·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of minutiae¹

First recorded in 1745–55; from Latin, plural of minūtia “smallness, fineness,” equivalent to minūt(us) “small, tiny” + -ia; minute ², -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of minutiae¹

C18: pl of Late Latin minūtia smallness, from Latin minūtus minute ²

Example Sentences

“He got stuck in the minutiae and sucked into these peripheral things,” said the person, who declined to be named.

From Los Angeles Times

I spoke with Buddha just after his win last year and he referenced how it can be so great to singularly focus on cooking — not bills, not customers, not the daily minutiae of running or working in restaurants, etcetera/

From Salon

Under Redick, the team and organization has been committed to the kinds of minutiae that he values.

From Los Angeles Times

Of course I want to stay informed, but sometimes after a long day of absorbing the minutiae of the Mark Robinson controversy, which is evolving at a truly breakneck speed, or back-to-back clips of JD Vance lying about immigrants eating pets, sometimes you just want to decompress in a world where “tragedy” means jam that won’t thicken or a pie with a soggy bottom.

From Salon

Post-it Notes, meanwhile, symbolize the minutiae of modern life, from Carrie Bradshaw’s infamous Post-it breakup in “Sex and the City” to the near-constant use of sticky notes as visual shorthand for cluttered thoughts and overwhelmed minds in films and TV shows.

From Salon

Related Words

• trivia