What does detailedness mean?
Detailedness is a noun denoting the quality of containing or displaying a great deal of detail — that is, the degree to which something incorporates many small particulars rather than remaining general or sketchy. A reader might praise the detailedness of a technical drawing, a historical account, or a dataset, meaning that it captures fine points with care. The word belongs to a productive English pattern in which adjectives take the suffix '-ness' to form abstract nouns naming qualities. Although perfectly standard, it is relatively uncommon in casual speech; everyday speakers usually prefer phrases such as 'level of detail' or 'attention to detail'. Detailedness therefore tends to appear in formal, academic, or evaluative contexts, where precision matters. Its connotations are generally positive — suggesting thoroughness, rigour, and craftsmanship — though it can carry a faint hint of excess when so much detail becomes burdensome. As a precise term for a familiar concept, it fills a genuine gap in the vocabulary of description and analysis.
nounThe quality or state of containing or showing a great deal of detail; thoroughness in the treatment or inclusion of particulars.
- The quality of being detailed; the extent to which something includes many small particulars.
"The report was admired as much for its meticulous detailedness as for its conclusions."
"The map's remarkable detailedness allowed hikers to identify even the smallest footpaths."
"Critics praised the novel's detailedness without noting that it occasionally slowed the plot."
Rarely used in the plural, since the word names an uncountable quality; the plural appears only when contrasting different kinds or instances of detailedness.
"The two manuals differ in their respective detailednesses."
English has 'detail' and 'detailed' — but when writers need the abstract quality of being full of detail, they coin 'detailedness' on the spot, making it one of the language's quietly productive formations.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of detailedness
Detailedness is formed within English from the adjective 'detailed' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ness'. 'Detail' entered English in the early 17th century from French détail, a noun use of détailler ('to cut into pieces'), which derives from tailler ('to cut'), ultimately from Latin talea, meaning a cutting or twig. The adjective 'detailed' arose by combining the verb with '-ed', and 'detailedness' extends this formation to name the abstract quality itself. Cognates sharing the cutting-root include 'tailor' and 'retail'.
Related word forms
How detailedness is actually used
'Detailedness' is a relatively rare and somewhat formal or technical noun; in everyday English, speakers more often say 'level of detail' or 'attention to detail'. It appears most often in academic, technical, or evaluative writing describing descriptions, data sets, maps, or reports.
Easily confused with detailedness
'Detail' refers to an individual item of information, while 'detailedness' is the abstract quality of including many such items.