What does comminuted mean?
'Comminuted' is a technical adjective describing something broken or crushed into many small pieces or fragments. Its most familiar modern use is in medicine: a comminuted fracture occurs when a bone splinters into three or more fragments, often from high-impact trauma such as a car accident or fall from height, and usually requires surgical repair with plates, screws, or rods. Beyond medicine, the word appears wherever material is deliberately reduced in size — ores are comminuted by crushing and grinding before mineral extraction, and pharmaceutical powders may be comminuted to ensure consistent dosage. Derived from the Latin 'comminuere', meaning 'to break into small parts', the word shares its root with 'minute'. It carries no emotional connotation but signals precision and severity within its technical fields, making it essential vocabulary for reading medical reports or scientific literature.
Reduced to fragments or very fine particles; broken into many small pieces.
"Radiographs showed a severely comminuted fracture of the left radius."
Most often used attributively in medical and technical writing.
Past participle of 'comminute': having been crushed, ground, or broken into small pieces.
"The sample was comminuted to a uniform powder before testing."
Surgeons call it a 'comminuted fracture' when a bone shatters into three or more pieces — the word comes from Latin 'comminuere', meaning 'to break into small bits,' the same root that gave us 'minute.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of comminuted
The word derives from Latin 'comminuere', formed from the prefix 'com-' (together) plus 'minuere' (to lessen, make smaller) — literally 'to reduce to tiny pieces'. It entered English via post-classical Latin and scientific usage around the early 17th century, first in contexts of grinding and breaking materials, later becoming established in medical terminology for shattered bones. Its relatives include 'minute' (from 'minus', smaller), 'mince' (finely chopped food), and the noun 'comminution', used in engineering and pharmacology for the process of particle-size reduction.
Related word forms
How comminuted is actually used
Largely a technical term found in medical, pharmaceutical, engineering, and geological contexts; rarely used in casual conversation. In medicine it is standard terminology in radiology reports and orthopaedic descriptions. As an adjective it is typically attributive ('a comminuted fracture') rather than predicative.
Easily confused with comminuted
A compound (open) fracture breaks through the skin, whereas a comminuted fracture means the bone is broken into multiple fragments and may or may not pierce the skin.
'Crushed' describes any forceful flattening or breaking under pressure, while 'comminuted' specifically denotes reduction into many small fragments or fine particles.