minutes

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'minutes' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to a passage of time (i.e. sixty seconds), notes or records of a meeting, or a unit of angular distance (as in minutes of arc). For example: We need to wrap up this meeting in the next 10 minutes.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Sport

Lifestyle

TV & Radio

Music

Travel

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Scheduled to make the 1,492km 9277 miles) journey every day except Christmas Day, the A320 plane has seen passengers delayed for as little as two minutes and as long as 12 hours and 18 minutes.

The Guardian - Money

Five minutes later, the phone rang again.

The New York Times

For ten minutes.

The Economist

Chill for 30 minutes.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

This was the second time in seven months that Hill has come close to the death chamber: last July he was spared by just 90 minutes and the experience was repeated on Tuesday night with just 30 minutes to go.

The Guardian

He said Kelly "did not agree" with the original minute and, when asked what comment Kelly had made when he was shown the original, Brown replied: "None, I don't think … It was obviously a minute prepared by someone who didn't have a lot of experience in writing cabinet minutes.

The Guardian

Three minutes.

The New York Times

IT WAS over in less than three minutes.

The Economist

It took 103 minutes.

The New York Times - Sports

When it starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

The Guardian

Within five minutes Laszlo Kiss was allowed to trap a ball from a corner and turn eight yards from the Salvadoran goal before firing past Mora to make it 6-1.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about time, be precise. Instead of saying "a few minutes", specify the exact number if known. This adds clarity and professionalism to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using the plural possessive "minutes'" when you intend to describe something that lasts for a specific number of "minutes". Use the singular possessive "minute's" only when one minute has some kind of quality. Otherwise, use "minutes". For example, "five minutes' walk" can be rephrased as "a five-minute walk".

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "minutes" is as a noun, referring either to a plural quantity of the unit of time (minute) or to the official record of a meeting. This is supported by Ludwig's examples, showcasing diverse usage scenarios. In many cases, it is used as an adverbial modifier, specifying the length of an event or activity.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Sport

16%

Lifestyle

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

TV & Radio

1%

Music

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "minutes" functions primarily as a noun, denoting either plural units of time or official meeting records. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and extensively used across various contexts, predominantly in News & Media. When writing about time, precision enhances clarity. It's important to distinguish between "minutes" (plural) and "minute's" (possessive singular) to avoid grammatical errors. Related phrases include "short time" and "brief period", offering alternative ways to express duration.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

couple of minutes

Specifies a duration close to "minutes" but implies a small number.

few moments

Highlights a small amount of time.

short time

Focuses on the brevity of the duration.

brief period

Emphasizes the limited duration.

meeting notes

Highlights the record of meeting.

official record

Refers specifically to the documentation aspect, omitting the time element.

meeting log

Highlights a document with the record of events in a meeting.

interval

Emphasizes the space of time between events.

transaction record

Referring a document that contain information on transactions

duration

Focuses only the length of time.

FAQs

How do you properly use "minutes" in a sentence?

The word "minutes" can refer to passages of time (plural of minute), as in, "The meeting lasted 30 minutes." It can also refer to official records of a meeting, such as, "The secretary took detailed minutes."

What's the difference between "minute" and "minutes"?

"Minute" refers to a single unit of time (60 seconds), while "minutes" refers to multiple units of time or the official record of a meeting. For example, "Wait one minute" versus "The presentation lasted several minutes."

Are there alternatives to saying "minutes" when referring to a short duration?

Yes, depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "short time", "brief period", or "few moments".

How can I ensure my use of "minutes" is clear in official documentation?

In official documentation, clarify whether you're referring to time or meeting records. For time, provide specific numbers (e.g., "15 minutes"). For meeting records, use phrases like "meeting minutes" or "official minutes" to avoid ambiguity.