Hairsplitting (Noun)
Meaning
Making too fine distinctions of little importance; "they didn't take his hairsplitting seriously".
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The debate team's hairsplitting arguments were quickly dismissed by the judges as irrelevant to the main issue.
- She accused her opponent of hairsplitting, saying that his distinctions were too fine to make any real difference.
- They exchanged emails for hours, engaged in hairsplitting about the definition of a minor technical term.
- His critics accused him of hairsplitting, claiming that he was avoiding the real question.
- The editor rejected the writer's draft, calling it an exercise in hairsplitting that failed to provide any real insight.