Wiktionary

minutia

English edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin minutia, from minūtus (“small, little”), from minuō (“make smaller”).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /maɪˈn(j)uːʃ(iː)ə/, /məˈn(j)uːʃ(iː)ə/
  • Audio (UK)(file)

Noun edit

minutia (plural minutiae or minutiæ)

  1. A minor detail, often of negligible importance.
    They spent all their time on minutiae, never making real progress.
    • 1768, Mr. Yorick [pseudonym; Laurence Sterne], A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy, 2nd edition, volume I, London: T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt, published 1768, page 159:
      I think I can ſee the preciſe and diſtinguiſhing marks of national characters more in theſe nonſenſical minutiæ, than in the moſt important matters of ſtate ; where great men of all nations talk and ſtalk ſo much alike, that I would not give ninepence to chuſe amongſt them.
  2. (biometrics, forensics) Any of the point features on fingerprints used for matching, usually endings and bifurcations of ridges.

Translations edit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Latin edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From minūtus (“diminished”) +‎ -ia.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

minūtia f (genitive minūtiae); first declension

  1. smallness, minuteness
  2. small thing, trifle

Declension edit

First-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative minūtia minūtiae
Genitive minūtiae minūtiārum
Dative minūtiae minūtiīs
Accusative minūtiam minūtiās
Ablative minūtiā minūtiīs
Vocative minūtia minūtiae

Descendants edit

References edit

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