nuance

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

/ ˈnu ɑns, ˈnyu-, nuˈɑns, nyu-; French nüˈɑ̃s /

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See synonyms for: nuance / nuances on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural nu·anc·es

[noo-ahn-siz, nyoo-, noo-ahn-siz, nyoo-; French ny-ahns]. /ˈnu ɑn sɪz, ˈnyu-, nuˈɑn sɪz, nyu-; French nüˈɑ̃s/.

a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, response, etc.

a very slight difference or variation in color or tone.

verb (used with object), nu·anced, nu·anc·ing.

to give nuance to; to color: She carefully nuanced her words, to put a positive spin on the situation.

OTHER WORDS FOR nuance

1 shade, shading, subtlety, nicety, refinement.

See synonyms for nuance on Thesaurus.com

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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 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; see -ance

OTHER WORDS FROM nuance

nu·anced, adjective

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

How to use nuance in a sentence

They discuss the nuances of how we should approach our football fandom in light of the science about what it does to people and how to think about the important cultural value that football adds to American life.
We Previewed Both Kinds Of Football For You|Sarah Shachat|September 8, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Protecting user privacy makes sense, of course, but one would hope there would be some nuance to the data that’s withheld.
Google Ads to limit Search Terms reporting, citing privacy|Ginny Marvin|September 2, 2020|Search Engine Land
Equality means everyone is given the same opportunity, but equity allows for nuances in how a person is able to access that opportunity.
Deep Dive: How companies and their employees are facing the future of work|Digiday|September 1, 2020|Digiday
If that is what is driving anti-maskers’ refusals, then Kant’s framework could help pro-maskers see the ethical nuance of the situation.
In The Time Of The COVID-19 Pandemic, What Should You Say To Someone Who Refuses To Wear A Mask? A Philosopher Weighs In|LGBTQ-Editor|August 30, 2020|No Straight News

Navigating the shift to a remote workforce was one thing, but determining when and how to shift back to office culture is another matter altogether, and it is fraught with important nuances.
We’re trying a petition-based approach to get people back to the office ASAP|Janet Van Huysse|July 6, 2020|Quartz
People always have to perceive the problems before them, including many unexpected nuances, and decide how to handle them.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You are great at capturing tiny nuances about the human experience.
The Zany Shades of Nick Kroll|Abby Haglage|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But even if he didn't understand all of the nuances of Lou's disability, he was convinced it was serious.
The Stacks: The Day Lou Gehrig Delivered Baseball’s Gettysburg Address|Ray Robinson|July 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His only offense was a moral one, though none of his critics could possibly know the terms and nuances of his marriage.
Too Late To 'Pologize For NSA Revenge Porn Leak|Lizzie Crocker|June 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The pair traveled to Penn Hills at least a dozen times over three months, teasing out the nuances and former life of the property.
A Most Illegal Adventure with New York City’s Wildest Underground Event Planners|Nina Strochlic|December 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Although delighting in intricacy of design and delicate nuances of shading, it prefers durability to all other qualities.
Bizarre|Lawton Mackall
One might go about studying nuances, contrasting tones, and yet value that truth eternally.
Love's Usuries|Louis Creswicke
I was wondering how the dispute might develop, but evidently my ear is unattuned to the nuances of these dialectics.
Observations of an Orderly|Ward Muir
Kneisel kept me at during the entire lesson, till I was able to adjust its tone-color and nuances to the accompanying harmony.
Violin Mastery|Frederick H. Martens
My landscape, always primitive in its precision, now took on a subtlety of nuances, a richness of variety essentially modern.
Letters of a Soldier|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for nuance

nuance

/ (njuːˈɑːns, ˈnjuːɑːns) /

noun

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

verb (tr; passive)

to give subtle differences tocarefully nuanced words

Word Origin for nuance

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

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

Cultural definitions for nuance

nuance

[ (nooh-ahns) ]

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

nuance

OTHER WORDS FOR nuance

Origin of nuance

OTHER WORDS FROM nuance

Words related to nuance

How to use nuance in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nuance

Word Origin for nuance

Cultural definitions for nuance