English Explanatory Dictionary

hair-splitting

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The act of considering or arguing about exceedingly small differences, fine details, and/or edge cases of no seeming importance, worrying about minutiae.
adj
  1. Of or characterized by hair-splitting, seeking or having exceedingly small differences, fine details, and/or edge cases of no seeming importance, concerning or concerned with minutiae.

Pronunciation

en-au-hair-splitting.ogg

Word forms

hair-splitting hair-splittings hair splitting hairsplitting more hair-splitting most hair-splitting

Etymology

From splitting hairs, q.v.

Synonyms

quibbling hair-splittery pedantry pilpul casuistry casuistics Jesuitism Jesuitry pedantic casuistic casuistical jesuitic jesuitical Talmudic pilpulic pilpulistic

Related words

split hairs hairsplit hairsplitter hair-splittingly

Derived words

hair-splittingly
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