minutiae

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

plural noun

singular

minutia 

1. precise details; small or trifling matters.

   the minutiae of his craft.

minutiae

/ mɪˈnjuːʃɪˌiː /

plural noun

1. small, precise, or trifling details

Usage

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 Word Forms

• minutial 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

Forget the “minutiae of Medicaid policy,” tweeted Vice President JD Vance, supposed elegist of hillbillies and other downtrodden Americans — it’s the extra immigration crackdown cash that counts.

From Los Angeles Times

The specifics of the mission are as mysterious as these men’s names as we watch them carry out the minutiae of military busywork.

From Los Angeles Times

“People who get really into the minutiae may point out that there are a couple of instances … where we bent those rules a little bit,” Macaulay says.

From Los Angeles Times

What they are working on during this particular rehearsal is the minutiae of the blocking.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s that realism has been confused with reality, and I worry that actors and writers are losing sight of the experience of living by zooming in on psychological minutiae.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• trivia