1.
grain size; particle size (in materials science, geology, etc.)
A technical term for how large or fine the grains or particles of a material such as sand, powder or soil are.
2.
granularity; level of detail or fineness (in computing, business, and general usage)
How finely something is divided or described, as in the level of detail of data, tasks or analysis; a term from computing and business.
Originally a technical term from materials science for the size of particles or grains. Now widely used in IT, business, and project management to describe how finely something is broken down or specified.
Common collocations
- 粒度が細かい／粗い — fine / coarse granularity
- 粒度分布 — grain size distribution
- 粒度を揃える — to align the level of detail
- 粒度分析 — grain size analysis; granularity analysis
Usage
In business and IT contexts, 粒度が細かい means highly detailed (fine-grained), and 粒度が粗い means broad or high-level (coarse-grained). This figurative extension is very productive in modern Japanese workplace communication.