technicality

noun

tech·​ni·​cal·​i·​ty ˌtek-nə-ˈka-lə-tē How to pronounce technicality (audio)
plural technicalities
Synonyms of technicalitynext
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If a medical clinic can’t clearly answer who’s overseeing your care or what’s in the syringe, that’s a reason to walk away, not a technicality. — Carrie Teegardin, AJC.com, 29 July 2026 This recall, which is the result of a technicality and not an associated illness, includes 12,036 pounds of bacon imported by Maple Leaf Foods. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 28 July 2026 Goli is working with professors from UCLA on some technicalities of his project and has a patent pending for his design. — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 8 July 2026 Transition and sustainable funds shape how pension funds, insurers, and asset managers allocate trillions of euros, so what the word certifies is not a technicality. — Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for technicality

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

Rhymes for technicality

See All Rhymes for technicality

Browse Nearby Words

technicalist
technicality
technicalization
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Technicality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technicality. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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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

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for technicality

Nglish: Translation of technicality for Spanish Speakers

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