MINUTENESS

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does minuteness mean? 

• MINUTENESS (noun)
  The noun MINUTENESS has 2 senses:

1. the property of being very small in size

2. great precision; painstaking attention to details

  Familiarity information: MINUTENESS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MINUTENESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The property of being very small in size

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

diminutiveness; minuteness; petiteness; tininess; weeness

Context example:

hence the minuteness of detail in the painting

Hypernyms ("minuteness" is a kind of...):

littleness; smallness (the property of having a relatively small size)

Derivation:

minute (infinitely or immeasurably small)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Great precision; painstaking attention to details

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

he examined the essay with the greatest minuteness

Hypernyms ("minuteness" is a kind of...):

exactitude; exactness (the quality of being exact)

Derivation:

minute (characterized by painstaking care and detailed examination)

 Context examples 

But my affair is widely different; I bring back my heroine to her home in solitude and disgrace; and no sweet elation of spirits can lead me into minuteness.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

In poetry, they must be allowed to excel all other mortals; wherein the justness of their similes, and the minuteness as well as exactness of their descriptions, are indeed inimitable.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Here, leading the way through every walk and cross walk, and scarcely allowing them an interval to utter the praises he asked for, every view was pointed out with a minuteness which left beauty entirely behind.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Elinor, dreading her being tired, led her towards home; and till they reached the door of the cottage, easily conjecturing what her curiosity must be though no question was suffered to speak it, talked of nothing but Willoughby, and their conversation together; and was carefully minute in every particular of speech and look, where minuteness could be safely indulged.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

As the minuteness of the parts formed a great hindrance to my speed, I resolved, contrary to my first intention, to make the being of a gigantic stature, that is to say, about eight feet in height, and proportionably large.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

It was very noble—very grand—very charming!—was all that Catherine had to say, for her indiscriminating eye scarcely discerned the colour of the satin; and all minuteness of praise, all praise that had much meaning, was supplied by the general: the costliness or elegance of any room's fitting-up could be nothing to her; she cared for no furniture of a more modern date than the fifteenth century.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)