Dictionary.com

preciosity

[ presh-ee-os-i-tee ]
/ ˌprɛʃ iˈɒs ɪ ti /

noun, plural pre·ci·os·i·ties.

fastidious or carefully affected refinement, as in language, style, or taste.

QUIZZES

BECOME A PRO CHEF WITH THIS EXQUISITE CUISINE QUIZ!

Even if you can't be a professional chef, you can at least talk like one with this vocabulary quiz.
Question 1 of 9
You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?
To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.
To stew in a sauce for a long time.
To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of preciosity

1350–1400; Middle English preciousite<Middle French preciosite<Latin pretiōsitās.See precious, -ity

Words nearby preciosity

pre-Christmas, précieuse, précieux, precinct, precincts, preciosity, precious, precious coral, precious few, precious metal, precious opal
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for preciosity

British Dictionary definitions for preciosity

preciosity
/ (ˌprɛʃɪˈɒsɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

fastidiousness or affectation, esp in speech or manners
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