detail Hear it!

detail Definition

de·tail (di tāl′, dē′tāl′)

noun

  1. the act of dealing with things item by item the detail of business
  2. a minute account to go into detail
  3. any of the small parts that go to make up something; item; particular the details of a plan
    1. any small secondary or accessory part or parts of a picture, statue, building, etc.
    2. a small segment as of a painting, reproduced separately for detailed study
    1. one or more soldiers, sailors, etc. chosen for a particular task
    2. the task itself

Etymology: Fr détail < the v.

transitive verb

  1. to give the particulars of; tell, item by item
  2. to choose for a particular task detail a man for sentry duty
  3. ☆ to clean (an automotive vehicle) inside and outside, with meticulous attention to details, usually for a fee

Etymology: Fr detailler, to cut up, tell in particulars < dé- (L de), from + tailler, to cut: see tailor

detail Idioms

in detail

item by item; with particulars

detail Synonyms

detail

n.

  1. A part

    item, portion, particular, trait, specialty, feature, minute part, aspect, accessory, article, trifle, peculiarity, minutia, fraction, particularity, specification, technicality, singularity, circumstantiality; see also circumstance 1, part 1. See syn. study at item.

    Antonyms entirety*, whole*, synthesis. *

  2. A small military force having a specific duty

    detachment, squad, force; see army 2, organization 3.

in detail

item by item, with particulars, thoroughly; see completely, detailed, specifically 2.

detail Synonyms

detail

v.

  1. To make clear in detail

    itemize, specify, particularize, exhibit, show, report, relate, narrate, tell, designate, catalog, list, recite, delineate, specialize, depict, portray, enumerate, specify the particulars of, mention, reveal, recount, recapitulate, rehearse, analyze, set forth, stipulate, go into the particulars, spell out, get down to cases*, cite chapter and verse*; see also describe.

    Antonyms generalize*, summarize*, epitomize. *

  2. To assign to a specific duty

    detach, appoint, allocate; see assign 1.

detail Usage Examples

Preposition: of

event: Details of individual events will be posted nearer the date.

Converse of object

  • give: His website gives details of the medical care he provides, with a map to help people find his consulting rooms.
  • contain: Their site contains details of all the celebratory events planned, many of which will be open to the public.
  • provide: Authors are asked to provide brief details of any related article or book which they are in the process of publishing.
  • include: It may also include details of people or places mentioned in archives.
  • enter: You may be asked to complete a simple form or a member of staff may enter details directly onto the library computer system.
  • send: They say they will send the applicants details to the most relevant company.

Adjective modifier

  • further: Further details of funding for all our courses can be found on our main funding page.
  • more: For more details about any of the news items found in these pages, click here.
  • full: In each case, full details of the product with a larger picture can be accessed by clicking on the product name.
  • personal: We do not disclose any of your personal details to third parties.
  • brief: Authors are asked to provide brief details of any related article or book which they are in the process of publishing.
  • technical: Most discussions and evaluative reviews of VLEs to date have tended to concentrate on the features, technical details and pricing of different systems.

Modifies a noun

contact: For further details contact Beechcroft on 01491 825522 or visit the website on www.beechcroft.co.uk.

Noun used with modifier

  • contact: Contact details for our regional agents are provided below.
  • card: Security Your receipt will not show your card details.
  • credit: Your credit card details will be encrypted to help keep them secure.
  • membership: For example, membership details of the Openness working group were inaccurate.
  • login: Once you have made payment online, you will receive an email with your login details.
  • registration: A: From a point of view, the identity is totally hidden because the registration detail is not subject to public search.