The minute is a unit of time or of angle. As a unit of time, the minute is equal to  1/60 of an hour, or 60 seconds. In the UTC time standard, a minute on rare occasions has 61 seconds, a consequence of leap seconds (there is a provision to insert a negative leap second, which would result in a 59-second minute, but this has never happened in more than 40 years under this system). As a unit of angle, the minute of arc is equal to  1/60 of a degree, or 60 seconds (of arc). Although not an SI unit for either time or angle, the minute is accepted for use with SI units for both. The SI symbols for minute or minutes are min for time measurement, and the prime symbol after a number, e.g. 5′, for angle measurement. The prime is also sometimes used informally to denote minutes of time.

In contrast to the hour, the minute (and the second) does not have a clear historical background. What is traceable only is that it started being recorded in the Middle Ages due to the ability of construction of "precision" timepieces (mechanical and water clocks). However, no consistent records of the origin for the division as  1/60 part of the hour (and the second  1/60 of the minute) have ever been found, despite many speculations.