hairsplitting

Speech parts

1. hairsplitting - Noun

2. hairsplitting - Adjective

3. hairsplitting - Verb

4. hairsplitting - Adjective Satellite

Meaning

Making excessively nice or trivial distinctions in reasoning; subtle.

The act or practice of making trivial distinctions.

Source: Webster's dictionary

Synonyms

critical critic demanding derogatory condemning pedantic belittling captious hypercritical disparaging censorious niggling overnice finespun quibbling

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Antonyms

light liberal libertarian loose accepting tolerant

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Hypernyms

distinction differentiation

Phrases with the word

casuistic hairsplitting

Examples

finespun distinctions Source: Internet

they didn't take his hairsplitting seriously Source: Internet

For example, the comic playwright Aristophanes criticizes the sophists as hairsplitting wordsmiths, and makes Socrates their representative. Source: Internet

The term "pilpul" was increasingly applied derogatorily to novellae deemed casuistic and hairsplitting. Source: Internet

Close letter words and terms

hairslide hairsplit hairsplitter hairspray hairspring hairspring trigger