mince

1 of 2

verb

minced; mincing

transitive verb

1
a
: to cut or chop into very small pieces
She minced the garlic.
b
: to subdivide minutely
especially : to damage by cutting up
The director minced up the play.
2
: to utter or pronounce with affectation
minced the word in the manner of the old lady
3
a
archaic : minimize
b
: to restrain (words) within the bounds of decorum
minced no words in stating his dislikeJ. T. Farrell

intransitive verb

: to walk with short steps in a prim affected manner
The comedian minced across the stage.
mincer noun

mince

2 of 2

noun

1
: small chopped bits (as of food)
specifically : mincemeat
2
British : hamburger sense 1a

Examples of mince in a Sentence

Verb She minced the onions. minced some garlic and added it to the stew
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The rapper did not mince words, calling out the Recording Academy for failing to recognize his wife with the Album of the Year prize. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2024 Coach Tata Martino was extremely unhappy with the team’s effort, and didn’t mince words in his post-game press conference. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024 Read the full Virgo Daily Horoscope Libra (September 23 - October 22) Don’t mince your words. USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 The judge did not mince words in his finding that the suit lacked merit and appeared to be a blatant attempt to intimidate researchers and critics. Taylor Telford, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024 Pop star Lady Gaga did not mince words in a lengthy Instagram message Monday calling out the negative responses to an International Women’s Day post she was featured in last week with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Brooke Sopelsa, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2024 The plastic, rectangular boards are clear with black edges and can be used for all your everyday chopping, slicing, mincing, and more. Rachael Hogg, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2024 Wendy Williams doesn't mince words about her divorce in the shocking new Lifetime documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? Brianne Tracy, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024 But perhaps the most memorable piece of advice was from a late-career writer who didn’t mince words. Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mince.' 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

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French mincer, from Vulgar Latin *minutiare, from Latin minutia smallness — more at minutia

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mince was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mince

Cite this Entry

“Mince.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mince. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

mince

1 of 2 verb
minced; mincing
1
: to cut into very small pieces
2
: to act, walk, or speak in an unnaturally dainty way
mincingly
ˈmin(t)-siŋ-lē
adverb

mince

2 of 2 noun
: small bits into which something is chopped
especially : mincemeat

More from Merriam-Webster on mince

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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