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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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

Words nearby nicety

Nicene Creed, nice nelly, nice-nellyism, Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, Nicetas, nicety, nicey-nicey, niche, niche market, Nichiren, Nichiren Buddhism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use nicety in a sentence

Exterior niceties are just as impressive, such as the anti-spin device to ensure the “RR” logo remains upright on each wheel cap at all times.
A car fit for a queen|Joe Phillips|September 17, 2021|Washington Blade
Executives and analysts say such niceties are carrots to pandemic-weary consumers.
Far from Fifth Avenue: Luxury brands flock to suburbs and vacation hot spots where the rich are riding out the pandemic|Abha Bhattarai|September 10, 2021|Washington Post
Which is just as well, considering that her near-autobiographical Netflix comedy-drama The Duchess makes clear that this “bad mama” couldn’t care less about niceties.
18 Comics of Tomorrow|Sohini Das Gupta|August 1, 2021|Ozy
Political memoirs are supposed to be graced with sufficient niceties and vagaries that make voters buy the brand.
Cindy McCain Opens Up — On Her Terms|Philip Elliott|April 27, 2021|Time

When I question him about these habits, he tells me that there is no need to display any niceties, as it is only the two of us.
Miss Manners: Husband’s rude eating habits driving wife up the wall|Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin, Jacobina Martin|December 18, 2020|Washington Post
The door would not open; built with air-tight nicety, it did not budge in the least.
The Girl and The Bill|Bannister Merwin
He knew the balance and the temper of the home-made article to a nicety, especially that made by Mklemba.
Forging the Blades|Bertram Mitford
In short, good Manners are introduc'd and observ'd in those Troops to such a Nicety, that you would wonder at it.
The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume I|Karl Ludwig von Pllnitz
And they all look the better, for being ranged with wonderful Nicety in Cases of Crystal.
The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume I|Karl Ludwig von Pllnitz
Mohammed, in fact, judged the capacity and characteristics of his countrymen to a nicety.
Islam Her Moral And Spiritual Value|Arthur Glyn Leonard

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 nearby nicety

Words related to nicety

How to use nicety in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nicety