technicality
noun
Simple meaning
A minor detail, rule, law, etc., seemingly insignificant to a non-specialist but which has significant consequences in larger matters.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
tehknihkalihteeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
tɛknɪˈkælɪti
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A minor detail, rule, law, etc., seemingly insignificant to a non-specialist but which has significant consequences in larger matters.
That which is technical, or peculiar to any trade, profession, sect, or the like.
The state of being technical as in the use of technical terms or methods
The quality or state of being technical.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Rare
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A minor detail, rule, law, etc., seemingly insignificant to a non-specialist but which has significant consequences in larger matters.
Used this way, technicality is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. This is a legal use: the wording is institutional and carries a defined meaning in law rather than a loose everyday one.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Law/legal
- Government/politics
- Academic writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use technicality
- “The resolution died on a technicality.”noun
- “The judicial system suffered from too much technicality and formality.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Minor / specific
Other combinations
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
- jurynoun
- hearingnoun
- prosecutionnoun
- courtnoun
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.