finely
Americanadverb
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in a fine manner; excellently; elegantly; delicately; nicely; minutely; subtly.
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in fine particles or pieces.
finely chopped onions.
adverb
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into small pieces; minutely
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precisely or subtly
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splendidly or delicately
Etymology
Origin of finely
First recorded in 1275–1325; from Middle English word fineliche; see fine 1, -ly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I have a finely tuned Twitter algorithm that surfaces any kind of drama on the right really quickly.
From Slate • May 7, 2026
Lenssen only needed weeks to design two models of the finely tuned machines, one of which came with an instructional manual that clocked in at 61 pages.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
He said "protecting free speech while preventing harassment, hate speech, and radicalisation are complex tasks involving finely balanced decisions".
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
"Reefs are finely tuned 3D systems. Their shape controls who lives, who dies and how fast the reef grows."
From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026
His age is betrayed only by the creases across his brow and a proud, deeply pitted nose, over which a purple filigree of veins unfolds like a finely wrought tattoo.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
