Small, detailed points of law or procedure that are technically correct but might seem unfair or unimportant in a larger context.
From 'technical' (from Greek 'technē' meaning 'art/craft') plus the suffix '-ality' making it abstract. The idea of 'technicality' became especially associated with legal loopholes in the 20th century.
The phrase 'getting off on a technicality' became famous in law because a criminal could be freed if evidence was improperly collected—it seems unfair, but it actually protects everyone's rights against government overreach!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.