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Glite Dictionary
🔎 A small fact 🧑‍✈️ A task group 📝 To explain fully 📋 To assign
to detail

to detail

7 5.9
To assign someone to a specific job for a short time
  • verb
  • /ˈdiːteɪl/
  • Formal
: destinar a
  • Corporal Seymour here will detail you to your various watches.

Examples

  • You will detail a force to accompany Councilor Organa Solo on her trip back to Bimmisaari tomorrow.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • She'll detail groups for the first couple of days to accompany the crews.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The commander will detail some troops to assist with the rescue operation.

  • The manager decided to detail staff members to cover different shifts this weekend.

  • We need to detail a volunteer for the upcoming event.

Synonyms

to assign
vsto detail
361 2.7

Give someone a specific task, duty, or position of responsibility

is mainly used for short or temporary duties rather than permanent ones
to task
vsto detail
58 2.6

To give someone a piece of work they must do

is used to place people into duties often for a limited time
to post
vsto detail
47 4.2

To assign someone to a place or job as part of their work

is mainly for temporary duties rather than formal job or military placements

Antonyms

to withdraw
94 3.5

To take money or things out of a place where they are kept

Idioms

in detail
184 3.1

Give all important facts so someone understands

an eye for detail
5 4.1

A strong ability to notice small things and work very carefully

Phrasal Verbs

to go into detail
57 3.4

To explain something carefully and include all important points

to skip the detail
  • Informal
1 3.6

Leave out small or less important information when explaining something

to drill into the detail
1 6.3

To look closely at the small parts of a plan or report to understand it

Compounds

gory detail
  • NSFW
10 7.7

A description that shows the violent, bloody parts of an event

minor detail
10 3.2

A small point that is not important

microscopic detail
1 6.9

A very small part that you can only see with a microscope

detail file
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A computer file that holds temporary data for a specific task

cat-foot detail
  • Jargon
9.8

A carved decoration on a table or chair leg that looks like a cat's paw

scabrous detail
  • Offensive
9.9

Shocking sexual or offensive details about someone's private life

How Official

to appoint
  • Formal
475 3.2
to second
  • UK
1 6.4
to detail
  • Formal
7 5.9
to assign
361 2.7
to ask
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

detail infinitive
detailed past
detailed past participle
detailing present participle
details third person singular

Etymology

To detail someone to a task comes from the same root de- + taille meaning 'to cut', so you can think of 'cutting out' a person from a group for a job. That is why to detail someone is to assign them a specific duty.