nuance

[noo-ahns, nyoo-, noo-ahns, nyoo-, ny-ahns]

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.

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

/ njuːˈɑːns, ˈnjuːɑːns /

noun

1. a subtle difference in colour, meaning, tone, etc; a shade or graduation

verb

1. to give subtle differences to

   carefully nuanced words

nuance

1. A fine shade of meaning: “I liked the film, but I know I missed some of its nuances.”

Other Word Forms

• nuanced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nuance¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of nuance¹

C18: from French, from nuer to show light and shade, ultimately from Latin nūbēs a cloud

Example Sentences

To build a nuanced picture of how people feel about the economy, the Journal-NORC survey asked seven questions that together indicated whether poll respondents felt financially comfortable or stressed.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

For women with a family history of breast cancer and other risk factors, clinicians will typically have a nuanced discussion to weigh the benefits and risks of the medication.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He warns sizing can be nuanced, with body measurements rarely aligning with a number on a label.

Read more on BBC

The consumer story in China is seldom exciting—but increasingly nuanced.

Read more on Barron's

The consumer story in China is seldom exciting—but increasingly nuanced.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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