• Detail

    Pronunciation

    Origin

    French détail, from Old French detail, from detaillier, from de- + taillier ("to cut").

    Full definition of detail

    Noun

    detail

    (countable and uncountable; plural details)
    1. (countable) Something small enough to escape casual notice.
      Note this fine detail in the lower left corner.
      We missed several important details in the contract.
    2. (uncountable) A profusion of details.
      • 2013-07-19, Timothy Garton Ash, Where Dr Pangloss meets Machiavelli, Hidden behind thickets of acronyms and gorse bushes of detail, a new great game is under way across the globe. Some call it geoeconomics, but it's geopolitics too. The current power play consists of an extraordinary range of countries simultaneously sitting down to negotiate big free trade and investment agreements.
    3. This etching is full of fine detail.
    4. Something considered trivial enough to ignore.
      I don't concern myself with the details of accounting.
    5. (countable) A person's name, address and other personal information.
      The arresting officer asked the suspect for his details.
    6. (military) A temporary unit or assignment.
    7. A part distinct from the whole.
      • 2013-06-07, Gary Younge, Hypocrisy lies at heart of Manning prosecution, WikiLeaks did not cause these uprisings but it certainly informed them. The dispatches revealed details of corruption and kleptocracy that many Tunisians suspected, but could not prove, and would cite as they took to the streets. They also exposed the blatant discrepancy between the west's professed values and actual foreign policies.
    8. A narrative which relates minute points; an account which dwells on particulars.

    Synonyms

    Derived terms

    Verb

    1. (transitive) to explain in detailI'll detail the exact procedure to you later.
    2. (transitive) (US (?)) to clean carefully (particularly a car) (IPA: ˈdi(ː)teɪɫ)We need to have the minivan detailed.
    3. (transitive, military) to assign to a particular task

    Derived terms

    Synonyms

    • (to explain in detail) specify
    • (military: to assign to a particular task) detach

    Anagrams

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