# granular

/ˈɡɹænjəɫɝ/ (US) · /ɡɹˈænjʊlɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/granular
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. physical texture

adjective · CEFR B2

made of small grains or feeling like sand.

For teachers: consisting of, or resembling, granules or grains; having a grainy texture.

- The beach had granular sand that felt rough under my feet.
- The geologist noted the granular composition of the sandstone, which indicated it had formed in a high-energy coastal environment.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it describes.

### 2. highly detailed

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

showing a lot of small details or breaking information into very small parts.

For teachers: characterised by a high level of detail or a fine scale of resolution in data or analysis.

- We need more granular data to understand why sales are falling in this city.
- The new software allows for granular control over user permissions, enabling administrators to restrict access to individual files rather than entire folders.

Usage: Commonly used in business, data science, and technical contexts to describe levels of detail.

Teaching tip: This is a very common 'buzzword' in modern professional English; students should use it when discussing data or project management.

## Examples

- The beach has soft, granular sand.
- The manager asked for a more granular report to see exactly how much each department spent on office supplies.
- To improve the algorithm's accuracy, the researchers needed to collect more granular data regarding individual user interactions rather than relying on broad demographic averages.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.