nuance

American  

[noo-ahns, nyoo-, noo-ahns, nyoo-, ny-ahns] / ˈnu ɑns, ˈnyu-, nuˈɑns, nyu-, nüˈɑ̃s /

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.

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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 British  

/ njuːˈɑːns, ˈnjuːɑːns /

noun

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

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verb

1. to give subtle differences to

   carefully nuanced words

nuance Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• nuanced adjective

Etymology

Origin of nuance

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

Example Sentences

While Sokolov and Litvak’s script is thematically straightforward, it incorporates a few nods to racial and class solidarity throughout that are refreshing to see addressed, even if some of those nuances go unexamined.

From Los Angeles Times

Now, a decade and a half later, it’s kind of astonishing to see how much more nuanced things have become — blends that actually account for texture, flavor, and how you’ll use them.

From Salon

Anyone who reads “Fairview” will understand the challenge of producing it, but I don’t think I fully appreciated how much stylistic nuance is in play.

From Los Angeles Times

Then again, we might be in the midst of an evolution, with more nuanced value- and growth-indexing strategies better positioned to reward investors.

From MarketWatch

It is an unusually nuanced take on a subject that too often generates reflexive fulminating or fawning, and a truly auspicious start to the New Museum’s new chapter.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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