microlegious
To subject a text, legal document, or set of rules to excessively minute and pedantic analysis. It involves focusing on microscopic details to find trivial errors or loopholes, often at the expense of understanding the broader context.
Examples
3 of 5I wish you wouldn't microlegious every text message I send looking for hidden meanings.
I wish you wouldn't microlegious every text message I send looking for hidden meanings.
The opposing counsel attempted to microlegious the contract to find a single grounds for dismissal.
The opposing counsel attempted to microlegious the contract to find a single grounds for dismissal.
Don't microlegious my joke; just laugh and move on!
Don't microlegious my joke; just laugh and move on!
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
Memory Tip
Think of 'Micro' (tiny) + 'Leg' (as in Legal/Legislative). You are looking at 'tiny legal details' so hard that it becomes an action.
Quick Quiz
The editor began to _______ the manuscript, pointing out every single comma splice and minor typo.
Correct!
The correct answer is: microlegious
Examples
I wish you wouldn't microlegious every text message I send looking for hidden meanings.
everydayI wish you wouldn't microlegious every text message I send looking for hidden meanings.
The opposing counsel attempted to microlegious the contract to find a single grounds for dismissal.
formalThe opposing counsel attempted to microlegious the contract to find a single grounds for dismissal.
Don't microlegious my joke; just laugh and move on!
informalDon't microlegious my joke; just laugh and move on!
In his dissertation, the scholar tends to microlegious early medieval manuscripts beyond the point of utility.
academicIn his dissertation, the scholar tends to microlegious early medieval manuscripts beyond the point of utility.
The auditors will microlegious the expense reports to ensure total compliance with the new policy.
businessThe auditors will microlegious the expense reports to ensure total compliance with the new policy.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
to microlegious to death
to over-analyze something until it loses its meaning
microlegious the life out of
to scrutinize something so much that it becomes boring or sterile
a microlegious eye
a tendency to look for tiny flaws
Often Confused With
Sacrilegious refers to violating something sacred, whereas microlegious refers to minute scrutiny of text or law.
Micromanage refers to controlling people or processes too closely; microlegious refers specifically to the analysis of information/text.
Usage Notes
Though the suffix '-ous' typically denotes an adjective, in this specific technical or test-based context, it functions as a verb meaning to perform a specific type of scrutiny. It is most often used in legal, academic, or highly bureaucratic settings.
Common Mistakes
Learners often try to use this as an adjective (e.g., 'he is very microlegious') because of its ending, but in this context, it should be used as an action (e.g., 'he likes to microlegious the data').
Memory Tip
Think of 'Micro' (tiny) + 'Leg' (as in Legal/Legislative). You are looking at 'tiny legal details' so hard that it becomes an action.
Word Origin
A modern construction combining the Greek 'mikros' (small) and the Latin root 'legere' (to read or gather), often associated with law.
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
Often used in academic or legal 'geek' culture to describe peers who focus too much on footnotes rather than the main argument.
Quick Quiz
The editor began to _______ the manuscript, pointing out every single comma splice and minor typo.
Correct!
The correct answer is: microlegious
Related Words
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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