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I'm trying to describe a high level job thus

You have to worry about the minutiae and the ...

I'm looking for a word that is the opposite of small details... i.e. the big picture.

Is there a word that means that but that remains as close to the Latin root as minutiae?

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  • If you want to keep Latin, totius springs to mind.
    – Mr Lister
    Apr 8, 2017 at 14:34
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    OK, OK, I confess. I used Google.
    – Mr Lister
    Apr 8, 2017 at 14:35
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    Macro? Material (as in relevant, germane things, in contrast to irrelevant detail)?
    – Dan Bron
    Apr 8, 2017 at 14:37
  • I would suggest *the macro perspective," since "macro" looks close to "magnum." Apr 9, 2017 at 4:57
  • It is because minutiae is fancy that I would never pair it with more fanciness, but with the big sweep. Jan 15, 2020 at 0:01

2 Answers 2

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There are several words of Latin origin that can be used. Here are a few:

Totality is from the Medieval Latin totalitas and Latin totus, meaning all, all at once, entire, altogether. (Etymonline.com)

Entirety is from Latin integritatem, meaning completeness, soundness, integrity. (Etymonline.com)

Aggregation is from Latin ad- meaning with regard to and gregarius meaning pertaining to the flock or the herd (as opposed to the individuals within it). (Etymonline.com)

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  • In AmE, though, "overview" might be the word used in the workplace.
    – Xanne
    Apr 9, 2017 at 0:48
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Perhaps also:
Comprehension from Latin comprehensiō (“taking together”), from com- (“with, together”) +‎ prehendō (“take”) wiktionary in the sense of all encompassing considerations,

or in a more colloquial vernacular:

Comprehensives as used for example, when speaking of PhD qualifying exams.

The added import of the comprehend root is of course understanding which is implied in the sense of minutiae as used above.

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