granular

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Made up of small grains or particles, or looking and feeling grainy.

   Grammar: Often before a noun: granular sugar; a granular texture.

   The soil had a granular texture that drained well.

   She stirred granular sugar into the tea.

   Under the microscope, the rock looked granular.

2. 2adjectivecomparablebusinessfigurative

   Examined or described in very fine detail, down to small parts.

   Grammar: Common in business and data talk: granular data, granular control.

   Patterns

   • granular detail

   The report offers granular data on sales in each neighborhood.

   We need a more granular view of the budget.

   The software gives you granular control over each setting.

Word forms

Common combinations

granular data

Granular data shows exactly which stores lost money.

granular detail

The plan goes into granular detail about each step.

granular level

At a granular level, small errors become clear.

granular texture

The cheese has a pleasantly granular texture.

granular control

Users want granular control over privacy settings.

Synonyms and how they differ

grainy

Grainy is the everyday word for rough or speckled texture, as with a photo, while granular is more technical.

detailed

Detailed is a general word, while granular suggests breaking things into the smallest parts.

gritty

Gritty describes sandy feeling or toughness, which granular does not imply.

Opposites

Word family

granule noun

A small grain or particle.

granularity noun

The level of detail or fineness of something.

granulate verb

To form into grains.

grain noun

A small hard seed or particle.

Commonly confused: granular or granulated?

Practice

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