technical

1 of 2

adjective

tech·​ni·​cal ˈtek-ni-kəl How to pronounce technical (audio)
1
a
: having special and usually practical knowledge especially of a mechanical or scientific subject
a technical consultant
b
: marked by or characteristic of specialization
technical language
2
a
: of or relating to a particular subject
b
: of or relating to a practical subject organized on scientific principles
a technical school
3
a
: based on or marked by a strict or legal interpretation
4
: of or relating to technique
5
: of, relating to, or produced by ordinary commercial processes without being subjected to special purification
technical sulfuric acid
6
: relating to or caused by the functioning of the market as a discrete mechanism not influenced by macroeconomic factors
a technical rally

technical

2 of 2

noun

basketball
: technical foul
Knight walked to the scorer's table to continue his protest and was given the second technical and an automatic ejection from the game.The New York Times

Examples of technical in a Sentence

Adjective If you have any problems with your new computer, we offer 24-hour technical support. I missed the first 10 minutes of the show because the network was experiencing technical difficulties. Technical experts analyzed the data. The film's director hired a real police officer as a technical consultant. a pianist with good technical skills The essay is too technical for me. the more technical details of their research “Cartography” is the technical name for the making of maps. He is using the word in its technical sense.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Consider town halls, team meetings, talking points for managers, FAQ documents for technical matters, for example. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Wonder had to overcome some technical problems that shorted out the PA system three times during the night. Gary Graff, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
Following Trump’s remarkable surge, Miller perceives a big disconnect between the fundamentals and technicals. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024 With fundamentals and technicals looking bullish again following a frustrating summer, these stocks could greatly boost to your portfolio! Ken Berman, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for technical 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'technical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

New Latin technicus "of the arts or sciences" (borrowed from Greek technikós "skillful, proficient in an art or craft, artificial," from téchnē "art, craft, proficiency in an art or craft, systematic method of performing or engaging in an art, manner, way, (in plural) wiles, cunning" + -ikos -ic entry 1) + -al entry 1; téchnē going back to Indo-European *tetḱ- or *teḱ-s- "fashion, produce" + *-(s)neh2, noun suffix — more at tectonic

Note: Regarding the nature of the root *tetḱ-/*teḱ-s-, see note at tectonic.

Noun

by shortening

First Known Use

Adjective

1617, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of technical was in 1617

Dictionary Entries Near technical

Cite this Entry

“Technical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technical. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

technical

adjective
tech·​ni·​cal ˈtek-ni-kəl How to pronounce technical (audio)
1
a
: having special knowledge especially of a mechanical or scientific subject
technical experts
b
: used in special fields of knowledge
technical language
2
: of or relating to a particular subject
especially : of or relating to a practical subject organized on scientific principles
technical training
3
: existing by laws or rules
a technical knockout
4
: of or relating to technique
technical skill
technically adverb

Medical Definition

technical

adjective
tech·​ni·​cal ˈtek-ni-kəl How to pronounce technical (audio)
1
a
: marked by or characteristic of specialization
b
: of or relating to a special field or subject
2
: of or relating to technique
a surgeon with great technical skill
3
: of, relating to, or produced by ordinary commercial processes without being subjected to special purification
technical sulfuric acid
technically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on technical

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