Definition
Minute
A minute is a unit of time equal to exactly 60 seconds.
What it means
Minutes measure how long something lasts and help us read clocks. Counting forward by minutes changes the minute part of a time; after 60 minutes, a whole hour has passed.
Remember it
60 seconds make 1 minute, and 60 minutes make 1 hour.
Example
A lesson begins at 2:35 and lasts 20 minutes. Counting forward 20 minutes gives an ending time of 2:55.
Watch for
In angle measurement, the word minute and the symbol ′ have a different meaning. This card owns the time-and-duration sense only.
Common mix-up
The abbreviation min can also begin the word minimum. It is a time unit only when number and time context make that clear.
Exact meaning
A minute, symbol min, is a unit of duration equal to exactly 60 seconds. Exactly 60 minutes make 1 hour.