detailed
/dɪˈteɪld/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Including many facts, parts, or small points. A detailed report gives a full picture, not just a summary.
- She gave a detailed explanation of the process.
- The report includes detailed figures and examples.
- Please send a detailed plan by Friday.
Adinary Nuance
Detailed is stronger than careful or clear because it shows many small facts. It is often used for reports, plans, instructions, and descriptions. Use it when you want to stress fullness and precision, not just basic accuracy. It is close to thorough, but detailed focuses more on the amount of information.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- chi tiết
- Spanish
- detallado
- Chinese
- 详细的
- Japanese
- 詳細な
- Korean
- 상세한
Etymology
Detailed comes from the verb detail, from French détail, meaning a small part or item. It entered English in the 17th century, first meaning “done with small parts.”
Common phrases
a detailed reporta detailed plandetailed instructionsa detailed description
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is detailed more formal than clear?
- Yes. Detailed is more formal and often used in writing, reports, and academic work.
- What is the difference between detailed and thorough?
- Detailed means full of small facts. Thorough means complete and careful, with nothing missed.
- Can I say a detailed explanation?
- Yes. It is a very natural and common phrase.
- Is detailed used in business writing?
- Yes. It is common in business emails, reports, plans, and instructions.