relating to the practical, mechanical, or scientific side of a job, activity, or subject that needs special knowledge or skill
The new camera comes with a detailed technical manual.
Only a trained electrician could fix the technical fault in the wiring.
✦ From Greek tekhnikós “skilled in art or craft,” through Latin and Old French into English.
concerned with the small exact details of rules, laws, or procedures rather than the overall idea
The lawyer found a technical loophole that saved the company.
The bill failed on a technical point of procedure.
in basketball, a foul given for unsportsmanlike behavior such as arguing with referees, which awards the opposing team free throws
The referee gave him a technical for shouting at an opponent.
After two technicals, the coach was ejected from the game.
a civilian pickup truck or similar vehicle that has been fitted with mounted weapons and is used by irregular fighters
A dusty technical sped across the desert with soldiers standing in the back.
Journalists photographed several old pickups that had been turned into technicals.
✦ First used in Somali civil conflict of the 1990s; named after the "technical assistance grants" misused to pay for armed escorts.
in a way that is strictly correct according to facts, rules, or definitions
Technically, the museum closes at five o’clock, so we should leave now.
She is technically still an employee, even though she hasn’t worked here for months.
✦ From technical + -ly, first recorded in the 18th century.
involving or relating to technical skill, methods, or practical details
The phone is technically advanced, with a powerful processor and a sharp display.
The piece was technically difficult to play, but the violinist made it look easy.
✦ From technical + -ly, reflecting the sense of ‘pertaining to technique or technology’.
