nuance

American  

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

noun

plural

nuances

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

• nuanced adjective

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; -ance

Example Sentences

Casting decisions carry real weight: they influence who is seen as worthy of authentic storytelling and who gets to tell those stories with care, nuance, and authority.

From Los Angeles Times

“These are nuanced questions, far beyond your comprehension! My social position, my financial security…” Her voice tailed off.

From Literature

“Paul cooks with that weight in mind. If there’s a parallel to my story at Momofuku, it’s not about breaking ground—it’s about insisting that food with deep cultural roots deserves ambition, nuance and respect.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Blanket retraining schemes don’t account for these nuances.

From The Wall Street Journal

The actor, who was diagnosed with the disease at 29, was moved by the depth and nuances he felt in the writing and performance.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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