technical

[ tek-ni-kuhl ]

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to an art, science, or the like:

   technical skill.

2. peculiar to or characteristic of a particular art, science, profession, trade, etc.:

   technical details.

3. using terminology or treating subject matter in a manner peculiar to a particular field, as a writer or a book:

   a technical report.

4. skilled in or familiar in a practical way with a particular art, trade, etc., as a person.
5. of, relating to, or showing technique.
6. technically demanding or difficult:

   a technical violin sonata; a technical ski run.

7. designed or used for technically demanding sports or other activities:

   technical apparel.

8. pertaining to or connected with the mechanical or industrial arts and the applied sciences:

   a technical school.

9. so considered from a point of view in accordance with a stringent interpretation of the rules:

   a military engagement ending in a technical defeat.

10. concerned with or dwelling on technicalities:

    You're getting too technical for me.

11. noting a market in which prices are determined largely by supply and demand and other such internal factors rather than by general business, economic, or psychological factors that influence market activity:

    technical weakness or strength.

technical

/ ˈtɛknɪkəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or specializing in industrial, practical, or mechanical arts and applied sciences

   a technical institute

2. skilled in practical and mechanical arts rather than theoretical or abstract thinking
3. relating to or characteristic of a particular field of activity

   the technical jargon of linguistics

4. existing by virtue of a strict application of the rules or a strict interpretation of the wording

   a technical loophole in the law

   a technical victory

5. of, derived from, or showing technique

   technical brilliance

6. (of a financial market) having prices determined by internal speculative or manipulative factors rather than by general or economic conditions

   a technical rally

Derived Forms

• ˈtechnicalness, noun
• ˈtechnically, adverb

Other Words From

• tech·ni·cal·ly adverb
• tech·ni·cal·ness noun
• hy·per·tech·ni·cal adjective
• hy·per·tech·ni·cal·ness noun
• non·tech·ni·cal adjective
• non·tech·ni·cal·ness noun
• o·ver·tech·ni·cal adjective
• pre·tech·ni·cal adjective
• qua·si-tech·ni·cal adjective
• un·tech·ni·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of technical¹

First recorded in 1610–20; technic + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Still, there are technical challenges, with SpaceX yet to complete the $4-billion Starship lunar lander, which would have to be modified for Mars.

From Los Angeles Times

In Pete Wells's review for The Noortwyck in The New York Times last November, he wrote that Chef Andy Quinn "finds the middle ground between grandeur and informality," adding that he's "exacting and precise, with a whole arsenal of skills and a minimalist sensibility that calls for most of the technical stuff to be tucked quietly into dishes that look simple and straightforward, even when they’re not."

From Salon

In contrast to Minic, Dr. Avi Loeb, a theoretical physics professor at Harvard University, praised the paper as “highly technical and offers a novel mathematical way to describe interactions among particles in a unified geometric way, including gravity and electromagnetism.”

From Salon

Coote's alleged insults about Liverpool and Klopp – who even his biggest admirers would admit was confrontational from his technical area – allow sceptics to challenge that principle of integrity.

From BBC

In January, leading engineer Tim Goss left his role as single-seater technical director.

From BBC

Related Words

• high-tech
• industrial
• mechanical
• professional
• scholarly
• scientific
• special
• specialized
• technological
• vocational