detail en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French détail, from Old French detail, from detaillier, from de- + taillier (“to cut”). Compare typologically Bulgarian подробност (podrobnost), Czech podrobnost, Russian подро́бность (podróbnostʹ) (akin to дроби́ть (drobítʹ)).
Meanings
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(countable) A part small enough to escape casual notice.
Note this fine detail in the lower left corner.
We missed several important details in the contract.
attention to detail
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(uncountable) A profusion of details.
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.
2013 July 19, Timothy Garton Ash, “Where Dr Pangloss meets Machiavelli”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, archived from the original on 14 May 2021, page 18:This etching is full of fine detail.
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(uncountable) The small parts that can escape casual notice.
Attention to detail was said to be one of the secrets of Gerrard's success as a player.
2018 May 4, Tom English, “Steven Gerrard: A 'seriously clever or recklessly stupid' Rangers appointment”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 26 Mar 2019:
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(countable, uncountable) A part considered trivial enough to ignore.
Safety at work is not a mere detail.
I don't concern myself with the details of accounting.
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(countable) A person's name, address and other personal information.
The arresting officer asked the suspect for his details.
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(countable, uncountable) A temporary unit or assignment.
Frequently members of the small police detail dispatched to the scene joined in.
2022, Gary Gerstle, chapter 7, in The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order […] , New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, Part II. The Neoliberal Order, 1970–2020:
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(countable, uncountable) An individual feature, fact, or other item, considered separately from the whole of which it is a part.
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.
2013 June 7, Gary Younge, “Hypocrisy lies at heart of Manning prosecution”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, archived from the original on 11 Apr 2021, page 18:
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(countable, uncountable) A narrative which relates minute points; an account which dwells on particulars.
"I could never persuade myself to confide in him that event which was so often present to my recollection, but which I feared the detail to another would only impress more deeply."
1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter 6, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC:
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(countable, qualifier:paintings, uncountable) A selected portion of a painting.
Eight years later, the outstanding exponent of Memory Painting was herself publicly commemorated by a six-cent postage stamp showing a detail from one of her most patriotic works, July Fourth (1951).
2001, Charles Russell, Self-taught Art: The Culture and Aesthetics of American Vernacular Art, page 100:On the cover of Julia Kristeva's Black Sun: Depression and Melancholia is a detail from a painting by Hans Holbein the Younger, “Portrait of the Artist's Wife, Elizabeth Binzenstock, and Her Two Children, Philip and Catherine.”
1992, Janice L. Doane, Devon L. Hodges, From Klein to Kristeva, page 53:Shrubbery and the hand of Christ (detail of plate 12)
2001, Maryan Wynn Ainsworth, Early Netherlandish Painting at the Crossroads, page 110:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| details | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
detail man · detailly · into detail · detailer · security detail · detailman · in detail · the devil is in the details · detail-oriented · detailee · superdetail · detailless · detailist · go into detail · microdetail · God is in the detail
Descendants
Relateds
big picture · deets · tally · tailor · overview · bird's-eye view
Synonyms
contingent · trifle · technicality · minutia · portion · section · triviality · detachment
Translations (192)
es detalle (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · da detalje (part small enough to escape casual notice) · gl detalle (part small enough to escape casual notice) · nl kleinigheid (part small enough to escape casual notice) · lt detalė (part small enough to escape casual notice) · fr détail (part small enough to escape casual notice) · be падро́бнасць (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · ru расчёт (military: temporary unit) · sv enskildhet (part small enough to escape casual notice) · nl persoonsgegevens (plural: personal information) · ko 명세 (part small enough to escape casual notice) · eo roto (military: temporary unit) · sv kommendering (military: temporary unit) · cs detail (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · he פְּרָט (part small enough to escape casual notice) · lt smulkmena (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · ro detaliu (part small enough to escape casual notice) · enm sleighte (part small enough to escape casual notice) · he פְּרָט (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · el στοιχεία (plural: personal information) · is smáatriði (part small enough to escape casual notice) · hy մանրուք (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · te వివరం (part small enough to escape casual notice) · nl kleinigheid (uncountable: a profusion of details) · ru то́нкость (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · ja 詳細 (part small enough to escape casual notice) · uk подро́биця (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · da detaljer (uncountable: a profusion of details) · el δεδομένα (plural: personal information) · mi mōhiohio (plural: personal information) · az təfsilat (part small enough to escape casual notice) · tr teferruat (part small enough to escape casual notice) · bg подро́бност (part small enough to escape casual notice) · de Detail (uncountable: a profusion of details) · km សេចក្តីលំអិត (part small enough to escape casual notice) · be дэта́ль (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · tr ayrıntı (part small enough to escape casual notice) · fi detalji (uncountable: a profusion of details) · pl detal (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · be падрабя́знасць (part small enough to escape casual notice) · bg дета́йл (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · pt detalhe (uncountable: a profusion of details) · sv oväsentlig sak (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · it particolare (part small enough to escape casual notice) · fr coordonnées (plural: personal information) · tg тафсил (part small enough to escape casual notice) · az detal (part small enough to escape casual notice) · it minuzia (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · ms butiran (part small enough to escape casual notice) · uk дета́ль (part small enough to escape casual notice) · nl detachement (military: temporary unit) · ms perincian (uncountable: a profusion of details) · el λεπτομέρεια (part small enough to escape casual notice) · fr détachement (military: temporary unit) · mi taipitopito (uncountable: a profusion of details) · tg тафсилот (part small enough to escape casual notice) · pl drobnostka (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ur جُزْئِیَّات (part small enough to escape casual notice) · pl szczegół (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ru дета́ль (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · nl detail (uncountable: a profusion of details) · lo ລາຍລະອຽດ (part small enough to escape casual notice) · kix thǖnìeh (part small enough to escape casual notice) · tg ҷузъиёт (part small enough to escape casual notice) · tl kasaliksikan (part small enough to escape casual notice) · lt smulkmena (part small enough to escape casual notice) · kk деректеме (part small enough to escape casual notice) · be падрабя́знасьць (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ru наря́д (military: temporary unit) · ko 세부 (part small enough to escape casual notice) · es detalle (part small enough to escape casual notice) · uk дета́ль (uncountable: a profusion of details) · prs جُزْئِیَّات (part small enough to escape casual notice) · pl oddział (military: temporary unit) · th รายละเอียด (uncountable: a profusion of details) · ko 상세 (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ru дета́ль (part small enough to escape casual notice) · pt minúcias (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · sl podrobnost (part small enough to escape casual notice) · pt pormenor (part small enough to escape casual notice) · fi yksityiskohta (uncountable: a profusion of details) · mi taipitopito (plural: personal information) · ia detalio (part small enough to escape casual notice) · es detalle (uncountable: a profusion of details) · bg дета́йлност (uncountable: a profusion of details) · fr détails (uncountable: a profusion of details) · pl detale (uncountable: a profusion of details) · eo detalo (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ga sonra (part small enough to escape casual notice) · nl kleinigheid (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · ca detall (part small enough to escape casual notice) · fi henkilötiedot (plural: personal information) · fi komennus (military: temporary unit) · ja 明細 (part small enough to escape casual notice) · uk подро́биця (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ast detalle (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ro amănunt (part small enough to escape casual notice) · mi mōhiohio whaiaro (plural: personal information) · ar تَفْصِيل (part small enough to escape casual notice) · sv detachement (military: temporary unit) · nl detail (part small enough to escape casual notice) · nb detalj (part small enough to escape casual notice) · sk podrobnosť (part small enough to escape casual notice) · prs تَفْصِیل (part small enough to escape casual notice) · an detalle (part small enough to escape casual notice) · it dettaglio (part small enough to escape casual notice) · pt detalhe (part small enough to escape casual notice) · sl detajl (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ky деталь (part small enough to escape casual notice) · fi yksityiskohta (part small enough to escape casual notice) · tr tafsilat (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ru подро́бность (part small enough to escape casual notice) · uk наря́д (military: temporary unit) · cmn 細節 /细节 (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ext detalli (part small enough to escape casual notice) · mk дета́љ (part small enough to escape casual notice) · fa-ira جُزْئِیَّات (part small enough to escape casual notice) · fr détail (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · mk подробност (part small enough to escape casual notice) · tl kasaliksikan (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · ka წვრილმანი (part small enough to escape casual notice) · mi mokamoka (part small enough to escape casual notice) · fi detalji (part small enough to escape casual notice) · be падро́бнасьць (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · ka დეტალი (part small enough to escape casual notice) · uz detal (part small enough to escape casual notice) · id rinci (part small enough to escape casual notice) · pt identificação (plural: personal information) · bg дета́йл (part small enough to escape casual notice) · uk дета́ль (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · tr teferruat (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · da detalje (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · mi taipito (plural: personal information) · uk докла́дність (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · cs detail (part small enough to escape casual notice) · hy մանրամասներ (plural: personal information) · de Einzelheit (part small enough to escape casual notice) · th รายละเอียด (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ru подро́бность (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · sv utkommendering (military: temporary unit) · ja 細部 (part small enough to escape casual notice) · sk detail (part small enough to escape casual notice) · hy մանրամաս (part small enough to escape casual notice) · cs podrobnost (part small enough to escape casual notice) · be падро́бнасць (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ar تَفَاصِيل (part small enough to escape casual notice) · de Detail (part small enough to escape casual notice) · sh dètālj (part small enough to escape casual notice) · pl szczegół (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · nl detail (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · be падро́бнасьць (part small enough to escape casual notice) · pt detalhe (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · ur تَفْصِیل (part small enough to escape casual notice) · hu személyi adatok (plural: personal information) · sv information (plural: personal information) · ms butiran (uncountable: a profusion of details) · be дэта́ль (part small enough to escape casual notice) · km ភាពលំអិត (part small enough to escape casual notice) · eo informoj (plural: personal information) · sv detaljer (uncountable: a profusion of details) · sh дѐта̄љ (part small enough to escape casual notice) · eo detalaro (uncountable: a profusion of details) · pl dane osobowe (plural: personal information) · he פרטים (plural: personal information) · ms perincian (part small enough to escape casual notice) · hu részlet (part small enough to escape casual notice) · es destacamento (military: temporary unit) · mi taipitopito (part small enough to escape casual notice) · yi פּרט (part small enough to escape casual notice) · az təfərrüat (part small enough to escape casual notice) · fa-ira تَفْصیل (part small enough to escape casual notice) · lt detalė (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · tl kasaliksikan (uncountable: a profusion of details) · sq detal (part small enough to escape casual notice) · vi chi tiết (part small enough to escape casual notice) · sv upplysning (plural: personal information) · pt pormenor (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · eu zehaztasun (part small enough to escape casual notice) · pl detal (part small enough to escape casual notice) · sv detalj (part small enough to escape casual notice) · uz tafsilot (part small enough to escape casual notice) · tr detay (part small enough to escape casual notice) · ru дета́ль (uncountable: a profusion of details) · fi epäolennaisuus (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · sv oväsentlighet (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · fi yksityiskohta (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · hi ब्योरा (part small enough to escape casual notice) · pt destacamento (military: temporary unit) · be падрабя́знасьць (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · be падрабя́знасць (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · de Detail (part considered trivial enough to ignore) · te వివరం (part considered trivial enough to ignore)