minute
minute
Pronunciation
The word "minute" has two distinct pronunciations and meanings, which affect its IPA spelling.
Pronunciation 1: Noun/Adjective (Time/Small) - /ˈmɪnɪt/
Syllable 1: /ˈmɪn/
/m/ - voiced bilabial nasal consonant (as in "man")
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel (as in "kit")
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal consonant (as in "no")
Syllable 2: /ɪt/
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel (as in "kit")
/t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive consonant (as in "top")
Pronunciation 2: Verb (Record/Detail) - /maɪˈnuːt/
Syllable 1: /maɪ/
/m/ - voiced bilabial nasal consonant (as in "man")
/aɪ/ - diphthong (as in "my")
Syllable 2: /nuːt/
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal consonant (as in "no")
/uː/ - close back rounded vowel (as in "moon")
/t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive consonant (as in "top")
Word Form Variations
As a Noun (referring to a unit of time or a brief period):
Singular: minute
Plural: minutes
As an Adjective (referring to something very small or detailed):
Positive: minute
Comparative: minuter (less common, "more minute" is preferred)
Superlative: minutest (less common, "most minute" is preferred)
As a Verb (to record details or make a note):
Base Form: minute
Third-person singular present: minutes
Present participle: minuting
Past simple: minuted
Past participle: minute
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A standard unit of time equal to sixty seconds.
Example: "The meeting will start in five minutes."
Synonyms: moment, second (in a general sense of time)
Antonyms: hour, day, eternity
A very short or brief period of time.
Example: "I'll be there in a minute."
Synonyms: instant, moment, jiffy, flash
Antonyms: long time, forever, age
(Plural) The official written record of what was said and decided at a meeting.
Example: "Please circulate the minutes of the last board meeting."
Synonyms: record, log, transcript, proceedings
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it refers to a specific type of document)
Adjective
Extremely small; tiny.
Example: "The artist paid minute attention to every detail of the painting."
Synonyms: tiny, microscopic, minuscule, infinitesimal, diminutive
Antonyms: large, huge, enormous, colossal, giant
Characterized by close scrutiny or attention to small details; precise.
Example: "He conducted a minute examination of the evidence."
Synonyms: detailed, precise, meticulous, scrupulous, exhaustive
Antonyms: general, broad, vague, imprecise
Verb
To make an official written record of the proceedings or decisions of a meeting.
Example: "The secretary was tasked with minuting the discussion."
Synonyms: record, document, transcribe, log, enter
Antonyms: omit, ignore, disregard
Examples of Use
Books:
"Every minute of the day was filled with learning and discovery." (From Educated by Tara Westover)
"He began to make minute adjustments to the telescope, seeking the perfect focus." (From Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson)
"The minutes of the last council meeting were distributed to all members." (From a novel describing a town council, specific title not recalled, but representative of common usage in fiction).
Newspapers:
"The city council spent a minute scrutinizing the budget proposal before approving it." (Report in The Guardian)
"Emergency services arrived within minutes of the call." (Article in The New York Times)
"Officials were tasked with minuting every decision made during the sensitive negotiations." (The Wall Street Journal)
Online Publications:
"Learn how to master a new skill in just five minutes a day." (Headline from a self-improvement blog, Lifehacker)
"The scientist presented minute details of the DNA structure in her groundbreaking research paper." (Nature.com)
"During the live stream, the host paused for a minute to answer fan questions." (Twitch.tv gaming channel stream)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
"Wait a minute, who are you?" (Common line in a TV show or film, e.g., in a mystery or suspense genre. Specific show not cited, as it's a very generic use.)
"The band will be on stage in ten minutes!" (Heard at a concert or on a music festival announcement)
"We need to minute this entire conversation for legal purposes." (Dialogue in a legal drama series, e.g., Suits, specific episode not recalled)
"This documentary offers a minute look at the life of an ant colony." (Description of a nature documentary on a streaming platform like Netflix)
General Public Discourse:
"I'll be there in a minute." (Common spoken phrase, indicating a very short delay)
"Can you give me a minute to think about it?" (A request for a brief pause in conversation)
"He explained the process in minute detail." (Describing someone's thoroughness in a conversation)
10 Quotes Using Minute
"I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'" (Muhammad Ali)
"The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is." (C.S. Lewis)
"For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"Better three hours too soon than a minute too late." (William Shakespeare)
"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it." (Warren Buffett)
"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"In 1969, I gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life." (George Best)
"One minute of patience, ten years of peace." (Greek Proverb)
"Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." (Denis Waitley)
"If you want to know the value of a minute ask the person who came to the train station or airport a minute late." (Sunday Adelaja)
Etymology
The word "minute" actually has a fascinating history because its different meanings come from slightly different paths, but they all stem from the idea of "small."
Think of the "minute" as a unit of time (like 60 seconds). This meaning comes from the Latin phrase "pars minuta prima," which literally means "the first small part." Imagine an hour being divided into 60 smaller pieces – the first division is a "minute." And if you divided that minute into 60 even smaller parts, you'd get the "second small part," which is where our word "second" comes from! This use of "minute" to mean a sixtieth part was used in mathematics and astronomy long ago, before clocks with minute hands were common. The earliest use in English for this meaning appears around the late 14th century.
Now, think of the adjective "minute" (pronounced "my-NOOT"), meaning something tiny or very detailed. This comes from the Latin word "minutus," which means "little, small, or diminished." It's related to the Latin verb "minuere," meaning "to lessen or diminish." So, when something is "minute," it has been made smaller or is inherently very small. This meaning also appeared in English around the 14th or 15th century.
Finally, the "minutes" of a meeting, which are the written record, likely come from the idea of "small notes" or a "rough draft." This meaning also has roots in Latin, possibly from "minuta scriptura" meaning "small writing." The idea is that these were brief, condensed notes of what happened, rather than a full transcript. This usage became more common around the 18th century.
So, in essence, "minute" always goes back to the concept of something small – whether it's a small division of time, a very small size, or a short, summarized note.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Minute
Any minute now: Very soon; imminently.
At the last minute: At the latest possible moment.
The minute (that): As soon as; at the exact moment that.
In a minute: Very soon; shortly.
Give me a minute: Please wait a short period of time for me.
Minute by minute: Happening or changing very rapidly and continuously.
To the minute: Exactly on time; precisely.
Minute details/particulars: Very small or precise facts or aspects.
Not for a minute: Definitely not; under no circumstances.
Wait a minute: An expression of surprise, disagreement, or a request to pause.
Just a minute: Please wait a very short time.
Every minute counts: Emphasizing the importance of not wasting time.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of minute from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
