technicality

[ tek-ni-kal-i-tee ]

noun

, plural tech·ni·cal·i·ties

1. technical character.
2. the use of technical methods or terms.
3. something that is technical; a technical point, detail, or expression.

technicality

/ ˌtɛknɪˈkælɪtɪ /

noun

1. a petty formal point arising from a strict interpretation of rules, etc

   the case was dismissed on a technicality

2. the state or quality of being technical
3. technical methods and vocabulary

Other Words From

• hyper·techni·cali·ty noun
• over·techni·cali·ty noun plural overtechnicalities

Word History and Origins

Origin of technicality¹

First recorded in 1805–15; technical + -ity

Example Sentences

Through the increasingly common process known as “ballot curing,” campaigns are contacting voters whose ballots were not counted because of a technicality and giving them a chance to correct their mistakes.

From Los Angeles Times

The previous case against him was dismissed in 2021 due to a technicality regarding a search warrant of his electronic devices, court records show.

From Los Angeles Times

But marriage equality in California was never vindicated on its merits, just on a technicality.

From Los Angeles Times

Again, the technicality is that Trump might not leave.

From Los Angeles Times

This level of singing, which requires such precision and technicality, is so undeniable that it reminds us of why opera is such a treasured, traditional art: You don’t have to understand it to appreciate it.

From Salon