technicality

noun

tech·​ni·​cal·​i·​ty ˌtek-nə-ˈka-lə-tē How to pronounce technicality (audio)
plural technicalities
1
: something technical
especially : a detail meaningful only to a specialist
a legal technicality
2
: the quality or state of being technical

Examples of technicality in a Sentence

These cases were dropped because of legal technicalities.
Recent Examples on the Web The suit was thrown out on a technicality — the plaintiff couldn’t prove she was biologically related to Pinell and therefore didn’t qualify as next of kin. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 The court in Louisiana dismissed the case on a technicality that the embryos were created in California. Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The issue certainly seems small, but contestants have missed out on major prizes over even smaller technicalities. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2023 But the Nebraska Supreme Court struck it from consideration on a technicality. Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 In a previous case involving the Northwestern football team, the board overturned the initial ruling ( on a technicality that doesn't apply here ). Jimmy Golen, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024 Not once, but twice in the months that followed, Trump’s lawyers raised legal technicalities to knock down Yagman’s flaming rhetoric. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2024 The high court then could rule in a variety of ways — from upholding the ruling to striking it down to dodging the central questions on legal technicalities. Nicholas Riccardi, Fortune, 21 Dec. 2023 Morton-Smith told Variety that while there are no major changes in the second iteration of the show, learnings from the first season have been taken on board and the rhythms and some stagecraft technicalities have been enhanced. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'technicality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

technical entry 1 + -ity

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of technicality was in 1764

Dictionary Entries Near technicality

Cite this Entry

“Technicality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technicality. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

technicality

noun
tech·​ni·​cal·​i·​ty ˌtek-nə-ˈkal-ət-ē How to pronounce technicality (audio)
plural technicalities
1
: something technical
especially : a detail that means something only to a specialist
a legal technicality
2
: the quality or state of being technical

More from Merriam-Webster on technicality

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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