Hairsplit
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A fine distinction.
"It's an arguable distinction, but I think it's a hairsplit."
- 1 To make fine distinctions concerning. transitive
"The real criticism of your article is not only your attitude of mind as expressed therein, but also in dealing with details and inclination to hairsplit minor matters"
- 2 To split hairs. intransitive
"How vividly with the recital of these old customs memory reverts to the other quaint and fantastic forms New England piety took on — to the pastor who could hairsplit by the hour 'twixt Free Will and Election"
Example
More examples"The real criticism of your article is not only your attitude of mind as expressed therein, but also in dealing with details and inclination to hairsplit minor matters"
Etymology
From hair + split; see split hairs.
Related phrases
More for "hairsplit"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.