1. The act of making overly fine or pedantic distinctions; excessive attention to trivial differences.
Usage: Usually plural or used as a mass noun; Often used critically to describe unnecessary or annoying precision

Examples

• The debate devolved into hairsplittings over the exact wording of the contract.
• I appreciate precision, but this level of hairsplitting is counterproductive.
• The lawyer's hairsplittings delayed the settlement by weeks.
• Rather than engage in hairsplittings, let's focus on the main issue.
• His tendency toward hairsplitting made him unpopular in group discussions.
• The committee rejected the proposal without resorting to hairsplittings about minor details.