Meaning & use
attention to detail
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
The habit of noticing and carefully handling small points so that work is accurate and complete.
Grammar: Never takes an or plural: She has great attention to detail.
Patterns
- pay attention to detail
- attention to detail in something
Editors need strong attention to detail to catch every typing error.
His attention to detail made the model ship look completely real.
The job requires patience and attention to detail.
Common combinations
- meticulous attention to detail
- The tailor worked with meticulous attention to detail.
- excellent attention to detail
- Candidates must show excellent attention to detail.
- pay attention to detail
- Surgeons must always pay attention to detail.
- lack attention to detail
- The report lacked attention to detail and was full of errors.
- an eye for detail
- She has an eye for detail that few designers match.
Synonyms and how they differ
- thoroughness
- Thoroughness stresses completing every part of a task, whereas attention to detail stresses noticing small features.
- meticulousness
- Meticulousness is stronger and suggests extreme care, while attention to detail is a milder, everyday skill label.
- precision
- Precision describes the accuracy of the result, not the careful habit that produces it.
- carefulness
- Carefulness is general caution, whereas attention to detail is about small, specific points.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: attention to detail or attention to details?
attention to detail vs attention to details
Use the singular attention to detail for the skill; attention to details is less natural and usually means particular items.
Practice
A good proofreader needs great ____.
Choose one answer.
The set phrase is uncountable and uses to. An attention and attentions break the grammar, and for is the wrong preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “attention to detail”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.