minute
minute — noun
1. One of the 60 equal units that an hour breaks into; each unit lasts 60 seconds.
One of the 60 equal units that an hour breaks into; each unit lasts 60 seconds.
The bus arrived ten minutes late, so Quinn missed the start of the film.
number + minutes for duration
Linh set the kitchen timer for three minutes before taking out the cake.
Each class lasts about fifty minutes, with a quick break in the middle.
It is twenty minutes past seven by the clock on the wall.
minutes past/to + hour
Rania waited for nearly forty minutes before the doctor called her name.
- ten minutes
- five minutes late
- minutes past
- minutes to
- every minute
- per minute
Grammar Patterns
number + minute(s)
minute(s) + past/to + hour
Usage Note
Frequently preceded by a number (two minutes, ten minutes). When telling time, American English prefers 'minutes after' where British English uses 'minutes past', though both are understood.
Common Mistakes
2. A very short period of time that feels less than a full sixty seconds, often use
A very short period of time that feels less than a full sixty seconds, often used in everyday conversation.
"Can you wait a minute?" Gabriela asked while putting on her coat.
wait a minute for a short delay
The rain stopped for a minute, and the children ran quickly to the shelter.
Heather rested for a minute on the bench before walking up the hill again.
Hugo said he would be back in a minute after checking the mail room.
in a minute meaning very soon
- wait a minute
- for a minute
- in a minute
- just a minute
Grammar Patterns
a minute
for a minute
in a minute
Usage Note
In spoken English, 'a minute' in this sense does not refer to an exact 60-second period. Contrast with sense 1, where 'five minutes' means exactly 300 seconds. Also used in polite requests: 'Just a minute, please.'
Common Mistakes
3. A short period when you are not busy, used to ask whether someone is free to tal
A short period when you are not busy, used to ask whether someone is free to talk or help with something.
"Do you have a minute?" Faisal asked, knocking on the manager's open door.
have a minute — question form asking for time
Zuri hoped the director would have a minute between meetings to sign the form.
The professor did not have a minute to look at Hyun's draft before the deadline.
If you have a minute, could you check the numbers in this spreadsheet for me?
have a minute + to-infinitive for polite request
- have a minute
- spare a minute
- got a minute
Grammar Patterns
have a minute
have a minute to + infinitive
Usage Note
Almost always used in questions ('Do you have a minute?') or negative statements ('I don't have a minute'). Distinguished from sense 2 by focusing on availability rather than elapsed duration.
4. An official written summary of the discussions, decisions, and action points fro
An official written summary of the discussions, decisions, and action points from a formal meeting.
The secretary read out the minutes from last month's board meeting.
the minutes of [meeting] — formal collocation
Asher was asked to take the minutes during the weekly team discussion.
All committee members received a copy of the minutes by email the next morning.
receive / approve / circulate the minutes
The minutes showed that the board had voted to approve the new safety policy.
- take the minutes
- minutes of the meeting
- read the minutes
- approve the minutes
- circulate the minutes
- record
more general; not specific to meetings
- proceedings
more formal; covers everything that happened, not just decisions
Grammar Patterns
the minutes of + noun
take the minutes
read the minutes
Usage Note
Always used in the plural form 'minutes' when referring to meeting records. 'Take the minutes' means to write them down; 'read / approve the minutes' refers to reviewing and confirming them at the next meeting.
Common Mistakes
5. A short written message sent between colleagues within an organization, often pr
A short written message sent between colleagues within an organization, often proposing or recommending a specific action.
The director sent a minute to all staff about the new parking rules.
minute about [topic] — formal memo sense
Pim drafted a minute recommending changes to the office cleaning schedule.
Each department head received a minute outlining the updated safety procedures.
The manager's minute asked team leaders to submit their budget proposals by Friday.
- send a minute
- draft a minute
- minute about
- minute recommending
Grammar Patterns
minute + about/on + noun
Usage Note
Primarily British English. In American English, 'memorandum' or 'memo' is preferred. Distinguished from sense 4: this is a single note between colleagues, not the formal record of a meeting.
Common Mistakes
6. One of the 60 equal units used for measuring angles; each unit equals one sixtie
One of the 60 equal units used for measuring angles; each unit equals one sixtieth of a degree and is written with the symbol ′.
The map gave the coordinates as forty-five degrees and thirty minutes north.
degrees + minutes for coordinates
A navigation error of just one minute can push a ship several miles off course.
Lucas adjusted the telescope a few minutes for a clearer view of the star.
The surveyor recorded the angle as twelve degrees and forty-five minutes exactly.
A full circle measures three hundred sixty degrees, each degree split into sixty minutes.
- minutes of arc
- degrees and minutes
- minute of angle
- arc minute
- arcminute
more precise technical term; 'minute of arc'
Grammar Patterns
number + minute(s)
degree(s) + minute(s) + second(s)
Usage Note
Used in geometry, navigation, astronomy, and surveying. Follows the same sexagesimal system as time: 1 degree = 60 minutes, 1 minute = 60 seconds (″). Not to be confused with the time sense — context (degrees / coordinates / angles) disambiguates.
Common Mistakes
at the last minute
idiomAt the latest possible time before something happens, often causing a sense of urgency or rush.
Lara finished her report at the last minute and sent it just before the deadline.
The couple made a last-minute decision to cancel their holiday flight due to the storm.
the minute (that)
idiomAs soon as; immediately after something happens.
The minute Ziad walked through the door, the children ran to greet him.
Please call me the minute you hear any news about the job opening.
Used to ask someone to wait briefly, or to express that you have just noticed or thought of something.
"Just a minute," said the shop assistant, "I need to check the stock room."
Wait a minute — that name sounds familiar. Was she in your class last year?
up to the minute
idiomHaving or including the most recent information, news, or style.
The news app provides up-to-the-minute updates on traffic conditions across the city.
Anong's fashion designs always feel fresh and up to the minute.
any minute now
idiomVery soon; at any moment.
The train should arrive any minute now, so let us wait on the platform.
Min checked the clock nervously — the guests would be here any minute now.
Happening very soon.
The bus should arrive at any minute now.
Is the pizza ready? I expect it any minute.
by the minute
idiomChanging or increasing very quickly.
Her fever was rising by the minute.
The traffic grew worse by the minute.
A short period when someone is famous.
The video gave him fifteen minutes of fame.
She enjoyed her fifteen minutes of fame after winning.
Used to ask someone to wait briefly.
Just a minute, I need to grab my coat.
Can you hold on just a second?
The latest possible time before something important happens.
She finished her homework at the last minute.
Don't wait until the last moment to buy tickets.
the minute (that)…
idiomImmediately when something happens.
Call me the minute you hear any news.
The minute he walked in, everyone stood up.
not for a/one minute
idiomUsed to say that something is definitely not true or not believed.
I didn't believe his story for one minute.
She never thought for a minute he would lie.
Used to say that someone is very foolish or easily tricked.
He paid $500 for that old car? There's one born every minute.
She fell for the scam? There's one born every minute.
to the minute
idiomExactly at the stated time, without being early or late.
The meeting started at 10:00 to the minute.
Her train arrived at 7:15 to the minute.
Used to ask someone to stop and wait briefly.
Wait a minute, I forgot my keys.
Can you wait a second while I check?
this minute
idiomUsed to say that something must happen or be done right now.
Sara, clean your room this minute!
I realized this minute that I left my keys inside.
minute — verb
1. To write down an official summary of what is discussed and decided during a form
To write down an official summary of what is discussed and decided during a formal meeting, producing a record called 'the minutes'.
Linh was asked to minute the discussions at the quarterly review meeting.
minute + discussions / proceedings — formal transitive
The committee secretary minuted every decision made during the three-hour session.
Faisal carefully minuted the objections raised by the finance department.
It is standard practice to minute all motions and the results of each vote.
Padma's suggestion was minuted and later included in the final version of the report.
passive: be minuted for formal recording
- minute a meeting
- minute the proceedings
- minute a decision
- be minuted
Grammar Patterns
minute + noun phrase
be minuted
Usage Note
Primarily British English. Often used in formal meeting contexts. The passive form 'be minuted' is common: 'The agreement was minuted.' Not to be confused with the noun 'minutes' (sense 4) — this is the verb form of the same concept.
Common Mistakes
minute — adjective
1. Extremely small in size, amount, or degree — often so small that it is hard to s
Extremely small in size, amount, or degree — often so small that it is hard to see or measure without careful attention.
The handwriting on the old letter was so minute that Élise needed a magnifying glass.
minute + noun for extremely small size
Minute cracks in the wall let in a thin stream of cold winter air.
The scientist examined the minute organisms living in a single drop of pond water.
There was a minute difference between the two shades of blue that Heather mixed.
The jeweller used a special lens to see the minute scratches on the diamond surface.
minute details — things too small for the naked eye
- minute detail
- minute amount
- minute difference
- minute particle
- minute organism
- tiny
more common and less formal; used in everyday speech
- minuscule
similar formality; suggests something surprisingly or impressively small
- microscopic
more technical; suggests something visible only under magnification
Grammar Patterns
minute + noun
Usage Note
Pronounced /maɪˈnjuːt/ (my-NOOT), distinctly different from the noun 'minute' /ˈmɪnɪt/ (MIN-it). More formal than 'tiny' or 'small'. Often used in scientific or technical descriptions where precision matters.
Common Mistakes
2. Done with great care and very close attention to every detail, leaving nothing u
Done with great care and very close attention to every detail, leaving nothing unexamined.
The inspector carried out a minute examination of the building's electrical system.
minute examination / inspection — thorough checking
Anong kept minute records of every expense, down to the smallest coin spent.
The lawyer studied the contract with minute attention to every single clause.
minute attention to [noun] — careful focus
Dylan wrote a minute description of the crime scene for the police report.
- minute examination
- minute detail
- minute attention
- minute description
- minute record
- thorough
more common; focuses on completeness
- meticulous
similar formality; emphasizes care to avoid mistakes
- painstaking
emphasizes that the process required great effort
- cursory
performed with little attention to detail
- superficial
opposite in depth of examination
Grammar Patterns
minute + noun (examination/description/record)
Usage Note
Also pronounced /maɪˈnjuːt/. Unlike sense 1 (which focuses on physical size), this sense describes the quality of an action or process — how carefully something is done. Common with nouns like 'examination', 'analysis', 'description', 'inspection', 'detail'.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- minutesnoun (plural)B2
- minutelyadverbC1
- minutenessnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
Minute, tiny, minuscule, and microscopic all describe something very small, but they differ in register and scope. 'Tiny' is the most common and versatile word — you can use it for anything small, from a tiny baby to a tiny scratch, in any situation. 'Minute' (pronounced my-NOOT) is more formal and is particularly suited to contexts where the smallness requires careful attention to perceive: a minute crack in a pipe, minute differences between samples. 'Minuscule' is similar in formality to minute but often conveys surprise that something is so much smaller than expected — minuscule font, a minuscule portion. 'Microscopic' is more technical and implies that the thing can only be observed with a microscope or extremely close inspection. For everyday use, choose 'tiny'. For academic or technical writing where precision and smallness matter, choose 'minute'. For example: 'She noticed a tiny scratch on the car door' (everyday). 'The engineer detected a minute flaw in the metal structure' (technical, precise).
Common collocations
Phrases
- at the minute
- to the minute
- minute by minute
Prepositions
- within minutes
- by the minute
- per minute
Etymology
The English word 'minute' comes from Latin 'minutus', meaning 'small' or 'made small'. The time and angle senses originated in Medieval Latin as 'pars minuta' (small part) — the first small division of an hour. The adjective meaning 'extremely small' was borrowed later from the same Latin root. The two modern meanings (time unit and very small) therefore share a common origin, even though they have developed into distinct words with different pronunciations.