nicety

[ nahy-si-tee ]

/ ˈnaɪ sɪ ti /

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See synonyms for: nicety / niceties on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural ni·ce·ties.

a delicate or fine point; punctilio: niceties of protocol.

a fine distinction; subtlety; detail: the niceties of the filigree work.

Usually niceties . a refined, elegant, or choice feature, as of manner or living: working hard to acquire the niceties of life.

exactness or precision.

the quality of being nice; niceness.

delicacy of character, as of something requiring care or tact: a matter of considerable nicety.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of nicety

1275–1325; Middle English: silliness, extravagance, cleverness <Old French niceté.See nice, -ty²

OTHER WORDS FROM nicety

o·ver·ni·ce·ty, noun, plural o·ver·ni·ce·ties.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH nicety

nice, niceness, nicety

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nicety in a sentence

But an absence of niceties nor an unwillingness to conform is not a legitimate cause for impeachment.
The University of Texas’s Machiavellian War on Its Regent|David Davis|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That said, there are many legal niceties and mechanical details to learn.
Earn Your Degree in… Lobbying?|Michelle Cottle|April 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still, all these niceties logged, there is no getting away from the crazy coaches and poor kids.
The All-American Abuse of ‘Friday Night Tykes’|Tim Teeman|January 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For all of his theoretical warmth and rhetorical niceties, Burke was not just a conservative.
We Are Radicals at Heart: A New History Gets America Wrong|Harvey J. Kaye|December 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Who has time to worry about complying with all those legal niceties?
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Scandal Spills Over to Ken Cuccinelli|Michelle Cottle|July 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It is only the habit of speaking, the idioms and niceties, which cannot be acquired except by converse with a native.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
My action may sound contemptible; but a woman in love does not stop to weigh niceties of behavior.
The Terms of Surrender|Louis Tracy
Men had to receive the very rudiments of culture before they could appreciate its niceties.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 3|Various
He early qualified himself as a translator by careful attention to philological niceties.
Chapters on Jewish Literature|Israel Abrahams
He did not, however, confine himself to rouge et noir, but soon learned all the niceties of that scientific game cart.
Bentley's Miscellany, Volume II|Various

British Dictionary definitions for nicety

nicety

/ (ˈnaɪsɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

a subtle point of delicacy or distinctiona nicety of etiquette

(usually plural) a refinement or delicacythe niceties of first-class travel

subtlety, delicacy, or precision

excessive refinement; fastidiousness

to a nicety with precision

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

nicety

Origin of nicety

OTHER WORDS FROM nicety

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH nicety

Words related to nicety

How to use nicety in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nicety