What does "minute" mean?
A unit of time which is one sixtieth of an hour (sixty seconds).
Minute
/ˈmɪnɪt/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A unit of time which is one sixtieth of an hour (sixty seconds).
- Grammar: minute is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: absolute, abundant year, academic year, accurate.
- Useful contrasts: elephantine, galactic, grand.
- Usage evidence: The statue of the Minute Man commemorates the valiant soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War.
How to use "minute"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "minute" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "minute" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "minute" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "minute" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "minute" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absolute" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "minute", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A unit of time which is one sixtieth of an hour (sixty seconds).
"Holonyms: hectosecond < kilosecond < hour < day < week < megasecond < fortnight < month < year < gigasecond < century < kiloannum, kiloyear, millennium < terasecond < mega-annum, megayear < petasecond < giga-annum, gigayear < exasecond < zettasecond < yottasecond < ronnasecond < quettasecond"
- 2 distance measured by the time taken to cover it wordnet
- 3 A short but unspecified time period. informal
"give me a minute"
- 4 a short note wordnet
- 5 A unit of angle equal to one-sixtieth of a degree.
"We need to be sure these maps are accurate to within one minute of arc."
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 a unit of angular distance equal to a 60th of a degree wordnet
- 7 A (usually formal) written record of a meeting or a part of a meeting. in-plural
"Let’s look at the minutes of last week’s meeting."
- 8 a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour wordnet
- 9 A unit of purchase on a telephone or other similar network, especially a cell phone network, roughly equivalent in gross form to sixty seconds' use of the network.
"If you buy this model, you’ll get 100 free minutes."
- 10 a particular point in time wordnet
- 11 A point in time; a moment.
"Tell her, that I some Certainty may bring; / I go this minute to attend the king."
- 12 an indefinitely short time wordnet
- 13 A nautical or a geographic mile.
- 14 An old coin, a half farthing.
- 15 A very small part of anything, or anything very small; a jot; a whit. obsolete
"[…]according to the Prophecies of him, which were so clear and descended to minutes and circumstances of his passion"
- 16 A fixed part of a module.
- 17 A while or a long unspecified period of time. Canada, US, dialectal, slang
"Oh, I ain't heard that song in a minute!"
Verb
- 1 Of an event, to write in a memo or the minutes of a meeting. transitive
"I’ll minute this evening’s meeting."
- 2 To set down a short sketch or note of; to jot down; to make a minute or a brief summary of.
"The Empress of Russia, with her own hand, minuted an edict for universal tolerance."
Adjective
- 1 Very small.
"They found only minute quantities of chemical residue on his clothing."
- 2 Very careful and exact, giving small details.
"The lawyer gave the witness a minute examination."
Adjective
- 1 characterized by painstaking care and detailed examination wordnet
- 2 infinitely or immeasurably small wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The statue of the Minute Man commemorates the valiant soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "minute"?
Common synonyms include: absolute, abundant year, academic year, accurate, all the rage, annum.
How do you use "minute" in a sentence?
The statue of the Minute Man commemorates the valiant soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War.
How do you pronounce "minute"?
Pronounced /ˈmɪnɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English mynute, minute, mynet, from Old French minute, from Medieval Latin minūta (“60th of an hour; note”). Doublet of menu and menudo.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Latin minūtus (“small", "petty”), perfect passive participle of minuō (“make smaller”).