detail

1 of 2

noun

1
: extended treatment of or attention to particular items
explaining without going into detail
giving careful attention to detail
2
: a part of a whole: such as
a
: a small and subordinate part : particular
planned the wedding down to the smallest detail
also : a reproduction of such a part of a work of art
b
: a part considered or requiring to be considered separately from the whole
discussing the details of the building's columns
c
: the small elements that collectively constitute a work of art
admire the great detail of his work
d
photography : the small elements of an image corresponding to those of the subject
strong lighting to achieve clarity of detail
3
a
: selection of a person or group for a particular task (as in military service)
b(1)
: the person or group selected
a member of a security detail
police details at the parade
(2)
: the task to be performed
were assigned to kitchen detail

detail

2 of 2

verb

detailed; detailing; details

transitive verb

1
: to report minutely and distinctly : to report with close attention to small elements : specify
detailed their grievances
wrote a letter detailing her vacation
2
: to assign to a particular task
was detailed to another unit during maneuvers
3
: to furnish with the smaller elements of design and finish
trimmings that detail slips and petticoats
4
: to clean and refurbish (a vehicle) very thoroughly and meticulously
detail a car

intransitive verb

: to make detail drawings
detailer noun
Phrases
in detail
: with all the particulars
explained the job in detail
Choose the Right Synonym for detail

item, detail, particular mean one of the distinct parts of a whole.

item applies to each thing specified separately in a list or in a group of things that might be listed or enumerated.

every item on the list

detail applies to one of the small component parts of a larger whole such as a task, building, painting, narration, or process.

leave the details to others

particular stresses the smallness, singleness, and especially the concreteness of a detail or item.

a description that included few particulars

Examples of detail in a Sentence

Noun Every detail of the wedding was carefully planned. They designed every detail of the house. the wooden box's fine carved detail We admired the detail of the artist's work. The job requires attention to detail. The article provides further details. You left out an important detail about their new baby: is it a girl or boy? The novel is full of historical details. The book includes a wealth of detail on living conditions aboard ships at that time. The novel is full of historical detail. Verb The book details the series of events that led to the tragedy. She wrote a letter detailing her complaints. The Army has detailed him to investigate the complaints.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
One of the teens also posed as a police officer to his wife, though the details of the incident have not been released. Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 13 Mar. 2024 Among the details listed there are such things as a minimum script fee of £17,000 ($21,700) for a one-off 60-minute show and £15,000 ($19,200) for a series. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Forecast in detail As our windy weathermaker departs out to sea, high pressure over the Southeastern U.S. pumps in much warmer conditions. Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 To transport the pallets from the barge and the ship to land, a temporary jetty will be built in an undisclosed location in Gaza, though the precise details of the effort are unclear. Scott McLean, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 The Canadian band has now shared the details of the tour, which culminates with four shows at Toronto’s History. Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2024 Militants offered no details on the cause of his death and there was no clear sign of trauma visible on his face. Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 12 Mar. 2024 Canary Media’s Jeff St. John wrote in more detail about the dispute. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 House lawmakers are expected to receive a briefing Tuesday on TikTok from the FBI, Justice Department and intelligence officials, according to a congressional aide, who was granted anonymity to disclose details of the briefing that has not yet been made public. Jill Colvin, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024
Verb
During his court case, Peck received several letters of support from the likes of Jury Duty’s James Marsden, Saturday Night Live’s Taran Killam, and Boy Meets World actors Will Friedle and Rider Strong, the documentary detailed. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Nolan frets over a nihilist bomb (then fails to deliver an explosive money shot) yet refrains from detailing government paranoia that might be relevant to today’s spiritual exhaustion. Armond White, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024 Ree previously introduced Paige’s new boyfriend in a blog post that detailed their holiday festivities. Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 McCourt's childhood was recounted in his brother Frank's Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Angela's Ashes, which detailed their mother's attempt to raise the four of their surviving seven children in poverty in Limerick, Ireland. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 11 Mar. 2024 Neither attorney detailed Zambrano’s role in the theft during Friday’s court hearing, instead waiting to make a factual record about the crime until Zambrano’s April sentencing. Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2024 The figures are nearly split evenly between those born and raised in the state and those who immigrated here, Mohammad Riyad, the community center’s founder, detailed. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 Travis' role in the September 2021 incident has not been detailed in previous hearings, and it wasn't discussed in court Thursday. The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 Dinner for Vampires details Lenz's story after she was cast as Haley James in the popular teen series One Tree Hill in the early 2000s. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'detail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

French détail, from Old French detail slice, piece, from detaillier to cut in pieces, from de- + taillier to cut — more at tailor

First Known Use

Noun

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1650, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of detail was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near detail

Cite this Entry

“Detail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detail. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

detail

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a dealing with something item by item
go into detail about an event
b
: a small part or feature : item
the details of a story
2
a
: selection (as of a group of soldiers) for some special service
b
: a soldier or group of soldiers appointed for special duty

detail

2 of 2 verb
1
: to report in detail : specify
detailed their complaints
2
: to assign to a task
detailer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on detail

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