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detail

n. C / U
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈditeɪɫ// de·tail General-service

n. a small piece of information or a single part of something larger. You use this when you want to talk about the specific facts rather than the general idea.

n. an individual fact, feature, or item. Often used in the plural to refer to the collective particulars of a situation or object.


SIMPLE

Please tell me every detail of your trip.

CONTEXTUAL

The architect spent hours checking every detail of the building plans to ensure there were no mistakes.

COMPLEX

While the general proposal was well-received by the board, the success of the merger will ultimately depend on the technical details outlined in the final contract.

Synonyms
Origin

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)).

Usage

Countable when referring to specific items; uncountable when referring to the quality of being intricate or thorough (e.g., 'the level of detail').

Pitfall

I need more informations and detailsI need more information and detailsLearners often pluralize 'information' because 'detail' is countable, but 'information' is always uncountable.

Idioms1 entry

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