circumstantiality

English

Etymology

From circumstantial +‎ -ity.

Noun

circumstantiality (countable and uncountable, plural circumstantialities)

1. (uncountable) Extreme attention to minute or irrelevant detail.
   • 1842, Nikolai Gogol, translated by C. J. Hogarth, Dead Souls, chapter 7:

     Plushkin's list was distinguished by a conciseness of exposition which had led to certain of the items being represented merely by Christian name, patronymic, and a couple of dots; and Sobakevitch's list was remarkable for its amplitude and circumstantiality, in that not a single peasant had such of his peculiar characteristics omitted as that the deceased had been "excellent at joinery," or "sober and ready to pay attention to his work."

2. (countable) A minor detail or circumstantial matter.
   • 1854, Thomas De Quincey, Postscript:

     There was much discussion at the time, in some of the public journals, upon the possibility of reconciling these incidents with other circumstantialities of the case, supposing that only one man had been concerned in the affair. That there was only one man concerned, seems to be certain.

Synonyms

• circumstantialness

Translations

minute detail

• Russian: обстоя́тельность (ru) (obstojátelʹnostʹ)