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View synonyms for

minute

1

[ min-it ]

noun

  1. the sixtieth part (1/60) of an hour; sixty seconds.
  2. an indefinitely short space of time:

    Wait a minute!

    Synonyms: ,

  3. an exact point in time; instant; moment:

    Come here this minute!

  4. minutes, the official record of the proceedings at a meeting of a society, committee, or other group.
  5. Chiefly British. a written summary, note, or memorandum.
  6. a rough draft, as of a document.
  7. Geometry. the sixtieth part of a degree of angular measure, often represented by the sign ′, as in 12° 10′, which is read as 12 degrees and 10 minutes. Compare angle 1( def 1c ).


verb (used with object)

minuted, minuting.
  1. to time exactly, as movements or speed.
  2. to make a draft of (a document or the like).
  3. to record in a memorandum; note down.
  4. to enter in the minutes of a meeting.

adjective

  1. prepared in a very short time:

    minute pudding.

minute

2

[ mahy-noot, -nyoot, mi- ]

adjective

minuter, minutest.
  1. extremely small, as in size, amount, extent, or degree:

    minute differences.

    Synonyms: , ,

    Antonyms:

  2. of minor importance; insignificant; trifling.
  3. attentive to or concerned with even the smallest details:

    a minute examination.

    Synonyms: , ,

    Antonyms: ,

minute

1

/ ˈɪɪ /

noun

  1. a period of time equal to 60 seconds; one sixtieth of an hour
  2. Also calledminute of arc a unit of angular measure equal to one sixtieth of a degree
  3. any very short period of time; moment
  4. a short note or memorandum
  5. the distance that can be travelled in a minute

    it's only two minutes away

  6. up to the minute
    up-to-the-minute when prenominal very latest or newest
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to record in minutes

    to minute a meeting

  2. to time in terms of minutes
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

minute

2

/ ɪˈː /

adjective

  1. very small; diminutive; tiny
  2. unimportant; petty
  3. precise or detailed

    a minute examination

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

minute

  1. A unit of time equal to 1 60 of an hour or 60 seconds.
  2. ◆ A sidereal minute is 1 60 of a sidereal hour, and a mean solar minute is 1 60 of a mean solar hour.
  3. See more at sidereal time
  4. A unit of angular measurement, such as longitude or right ascension, that is equal to 1 60 of a degree or 60 seconds.
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Derived Forms

  • ˈԳܳٱԱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ܲ··ܳ· adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of minute1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, Middle French, from Medieval Latin ūٲ, noun use of feminine of ūٳܲ minute 2

Origin of minute2

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin ūٳܲ (past participle of minuere “to make smaller or fewer”), equivalent to ū- verb stem + -tus past participle suffix; minus, minor
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Word History and Origins

Origin of minute1

C14: from Old French from Medieval Latin ūٲ, n. use of Latin ūٳܲ minute ²

Origin of minute2

C15: from Latin ūٳܲ, past participle of minuere to diminish
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. up to the minute, modern; up-to-date:

    The building design is up to the minute.

More idioms and phrases containing minute

see at the last minute ; every minute counts ; just a minute ; mile a minute ; wait a minute .
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Synonym Study

Minute, instant, moment refer to small amounts of time. A minute, properly denoting 60 seconds, is often used loosely for any very short space of time (and may be interchangeable with second ): I'll be there in just a minute. An instant is practically a point in time, with no duration, though it is also used to mean a perceptible amount of time: not an instant's delay. Moment denotes much the same as instant, though with a somewhat greater sense of duration (but somewhat less than minute ): It will only take a moment.
See little.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A festival on a sandbar brought 90 minutes of merriment to hundreds of people in the Isles of Scilly.

From

“We think this will get people in 20 to 30 minutes faster,” said Bill Foltz, chief executive officer of OC Sports and Entertainment.

From

They arrange themselves facing Bob, who sits at center stage, and do not take their eyes off him for one minute.

From

Ms Flynn watched as he remained inside her mother's house for under two minutes before jumping out of the window.

From

Generally, it's challenging to get that with salmon without intensely high heat and lots of oil — but alas, the air fryer does all that and then some in 15 minutes or less.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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