la minute

Meaning in English

Minute has two common meanings in French:

1. A minute (unit of time)

   • Une minute = one minute, a short duration (60 seconds).

2. A draft / official written record (more formal)

   • Une minute = the original version of an official document (especially in legal or administrative contexts), or a draft kept as the authoritative record.
   • By extension, it can relate to minutes of a meeting in some contexts, though French more commonly uses compte rendu or procès-verbal for meeting minutes.

Parts / form

• minute is a feminine noun: une minute.
• Related adjective (same spelling): minute can also mean minute/precise in expressions like une description minute (“a very detailed description”), though this is less common than détaillé(e).

French synonyms

For the time meaning:

• instant (moment)
• moment (moment)

For the document/record meaning:

• brouillon (draft)
• original (original document)
• procès-verbal (official report/minutes, depending on context)
• compte rendu (report)

French antonyms (if applicable)

For the time meaning:

• No strict single-word antonym, but oppositions by idea include:
  • heure (hour) as a longer unit
  • éternité (eternity) in a figurative contrast

For the “detailed/precise” adjective sense:

• vague (vague)
• approximatif / approximative (approximate)