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Thorough vs Detailed - What's the difference?

thorough | detailed |

As adjectives the difference between thorough and detailed

is that thorough is painstaking and careful not to miss or omit any detail while detailed is characterized by attention to detail and thoroughness of treatment.

As a preposition thorough

is through.

As a noun thorough

is a furrow between two ridges, to drain off the surface water.

As a verb detailed is

past tense of detail.

thorough

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) .

Alternative forms

* thoro

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • painstaking and careful not to miss or omit any detail
    • The Prime Minister announced a thorough investigation into the death of a father of two in police custody.
    He is the most thorough worker I have ever seen.
    The infested house needs a thorough cleansing before it will be inhabitable.
  • utter; complete; absolute
    • It is a thorough pleasure to see him beg for mercy.
    Derived terms
    * thoroughbred * thoroughgoing * thoroughly

    Etymology 2

    A disyllabic form of (etyl) .

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • (obsolete) Through.
  • * , II.xii:
    • Ye might haue seene the frothy billowes fry / Vnder the ship, as thorough them she went [...].
  • * 1599 , , V. i. 109:
    • You are contented to be led in triumph / Thorough the streets of Rome?

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, dialect) A furrow between two ridges, to drain off the surface water.
    • (Halliwell)

    detailed

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Characterized by attention to detail and thoroughness of treatment.

    • Verb

    (head)
  • (detail)