nuance

American  

[noo-ahns, nyoo-, noo-ahns, nyoo-, ny-ahns] / ˈnu ɑns, ˈnyu-, nuˈɑns, nyu-, nüˈɑ̃s /

noun

nuances plural

1. a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, response, etc.

   Synonyms:

   refinement, nicety, subtlety, shading, shade

2. a very slight difference or variation in color or tone.

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verb (used with object)

nuanced, nuancing

1. to give nuance to; to color.

   She carefully nuanced her words, to put a positive spin on the situation.

nuance British  

/ njuːˈɑːns, ˈnjuːɑːns /

noun

1. a subtle difference in colour, meaning, tone, etc; a shade or graduation

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verb

1. to give subtle differences to

   carefully nuanced words

nuance Cultural  

1. A fine shade of meaning: “I liked the film, but I know I missed some of its nuances.”

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nuanced
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• nuances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nuance

First recorded in 1775–85; from French: “shade, hue,” equivalent to nu(er) “to shade” (literally, “to cloud”), from unattested Vulgar Latin nūbāre, derivative of unattested nūba, for Latin nūbēs “cloud”) + -ance noun suffix; see -ance

Explanation

Use nuance to refer to a very small difference in color, meaning, or feeling. What makes singers brilliant is not how loud they can sing a note, but how many nuances they can evoke through their approach. Pronounced "NOO-ahns," this noun was borrowed from French in the 18th century and derives ultimately from Latin nūbēs "a cloud." Think of clouds––subtle gradations in color to understand this word. When you say a work of art was nuanced, it means there was a lot to it, but incorporated subtly.

Example Sentences

In moments when opportunity is cloaked in nuance, we have long relied upon John Marshall, Goldman Sachs’ derivatives strategist.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

Instead, there’s nuance: U.S. commercial inventories may be adequate for now, but if the bulk of Middle Eastern oil supplies remains out of global reach for longer, then they could prove inadequate.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026

Base was an ardent supporter of the rap genre, explaining to The Times in 1989 the nuance of the music.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

There’s little nuance and shade in his arrangements, and despite the presence of more than a dozen highly skilled musicians, you don’t remember a single part from any of them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Eating well, healthy?—and parsing every word for tone and nuance, as if his sentences are a code I can crack.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Related Words

• distinction
• gradation
• hint
• implication
• nicety
• refinement
• subtlety