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preciosity

[presh-ee-os-i-tee]
noun, plural pre·ci·os·i·ties.
  1. fastidious or carefully affected refinement, as in language, style, or taste.
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Origin of preciosity

1350–1400; Middle English preciousite < Middle French preciosite < Latin pretiōsitās. See precious, -ity
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for preciosity

Historical Examples

  • Walter Pater's essay on Style is honeycombed with involutions and preciosity.

    Unicorns

    James Huneker

  • Lockhart hated all affectation and “preciosity,” of which the new book was not destitute.

    Alfred Tennyson

    Andrew Lang

  • The character of pedantry and preciosity which the Htel afterwards incurred, is not to be traced in any of its original features.

  • But, in reacting everywhere against vulgar roughness, the very excess of his effort landed him at last in preciosity.

  • Their aim in preciosity would seem to be to keep themselves unspotted from the world.

    The Author's Craft

    Arnold Bennett

British Dictionary definitions for preciosity

preciosity

noun plural -ties
  1. fastidiousness or affectation, esp in speech or manners
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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