nicety

[ nahy-si-tee ]
See synonyms for: nicetyniceties on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural ni·ce·ties.
  1. a delicate or fine point; punctilio: niceties of protocol.

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

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

  2. exactness or precision.

  3. the quality of being nice; niceness.

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

Origin of nicety

1
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

Words Nearby nicety

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use nicety in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nicety

nicety

/ (ˈnaɪsɪtɪ) /


nounplural -ties
  1. a subtle point of delicacy or distinction: a nicety of etiquette

  2. (usually plural) a refinement or delicacy: the niceties of first-class travel

  1. subtlety, delicacy, or precision

  2. excessive refinement; fastidiousness

  3. 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