Word
minute
/ˈmɪnət/
Definitions
01unit of time
A1 · Beginner Countable noun
n. a period of time that lasts 60 seconds.
n. a unit of time equal to one-sixtieth of an hour.
日本語:分※
“The eggs need to boil for exactly six minutes to be perfect.”
“The train was delayed by only a few minutes, yet the platform was already crowded with frustrated commuters.”
Synonyms
02a short time
A2 · Elementary Countable noun Informal
n. a very short, often unspecified amount of time.
n. an informal designation for a brief but indefinite duration.
“Wait a minute, I forgot my keys on the kitchen table.”
“Could you spare a minute to review these figures before the presentation begins?”
03meeting records
B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun Formal
n. the official written record of what people said and decided at a meeting.
n. the formal written record of the proceedings and resolutions of a meeting.
“The secretary took the minutes during the board meeting.”
“After the chairperson approved the minutes of the previous session, the committee moved to the first item on the agenda.”
Usage
Usually used in the plural form: 'the minutes'.
Synonyms
04a long time
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Slang · American English · Dialect
n. a long period of time.
n. a dialectal or slang use referring to a significant or extended duration rather than a short one.
“I haven't seen him in a minute; he looks so different now.”
“It has been a minute since we last collaborated on a project of this scale and complexity.”
Antonyms
05very small
C1 · Advanced Academic · Formal
adj. extremely small or tiny.
adj. extremely small in size, amount, or degree. Pronounced /maɪˈnjuːt/.
“The machine can detect even minute amounts of dust in the air.”
“The forensic team spent hours searching the carpet for minute traces of evidence that might link the suspect to the scene.”
Pitfall
The insect was very minute.
The insect was minute.
Minute is an absolute adjective; it already means 'extremely small', so adding 'very' is usually redundant.
Teaching tip
Remind students that the pronunciation changes from the noun (MIN-it) to the adjective (my-NYOOT).
Synonyms
06detailed
C1 · Advanced Formal · Academic
adj. paying great attention to very small details.
adj. characterised by precise and exhaustive attention to small details. Pronounced /maɪˈnjuːt/.
“She gave a minute description of the man she saw running away.”
“The contract was subject to minute examination by the legal team to ensure no loopholes remained.”
Synonyms
07to record in notes
C2 · Proficiency Formal · Technical
v. to write down what happens in a meeting.
v. to record the proceedings of a meeting in the official minutes.
“The decision was minuted so that everyone would remember it later.”
“The secretary was instructed to minute the dissent of the minority members to ensure a complete historical record of the debate.”
Usage
Usually used in administrative or legal contexts.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “minute” in context.
Verb
01. approve the minutes of the meeting
“The committee voted to approve the minutes of the previous meeting without any amendments.”
verb + noun + of + noun
02. take the minutes
“The junior associate was assigned to take the minutes during the board meeting.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. last-minute decision
“It was a last-minute decision to fly to Paris, but we managed to find a hotel.”
adj + noun
04. minute detail
“The investigator examined every minute detail of the crime scene for hours.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. matter of minutes
“The fire department arrived in a matter of minutes, preventing the blaze from spreading.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
06. at the last minute
“The concert was cancelled at the last minute due to the lead singer's illness.”
prep + noun
07. in a minute
“I will be with you in a minute; I just need to finish this email.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“With Boro leading 1-0 in the 80th minute through a Lankshear goal, the striker slowly jogged off the pitch while clapping the fans.” “The Black Queens got off to a bad start in their game on Thursday with Princess Marfo penalised for an apparent foul on Ivorian captain Bernadette Amani in the area in the first minute.” “The Trades Union Congress said most of the extra costs would only come if businesses cancelled workers' shifts at the last minute.” “The college said about 40% of those people had looked at it for less than a minute.” Etymology
From Middle English mynute, minute, mynet, from Old French minute, from Medieval Latin minūta (“60th of an hour; note”). Doublet of menu and menudo.
Borrowed from Latin minūtus (“small", "petty”), perfect passive participle of minuō (“make smaller”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
01. hot minute
02. just a minute
03. last minute
04. laugh a minute
05. mile a minute
08. this minute
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/minute
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0