subtlety

[ suht-l-tee ]

/ ˈsʌt l ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR subtlety ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural sub·tle·ties.

the state or quality of being subtle.

delicacy or nicety of character or meaning.

acuteness or penetration of mind; delicacy of discrimination.

a fine-drawn distinction; refinement of reasoning: the subtleties of logic.

something subtle.

History/Historical. an elaborate confection, ornate in construction and ornamentation, sometimes edible but more often made and used as a decoration for a table or buffet.

Nearby words

subtilisin, subtilize, subtilty, subtitle, subtle, subtlety, subtonic, subtopia, subtopic, subtorrid, subtotal

Origin of subtlety

1300–50; Middle English subtelte, sutilte < Old French sutilte < Latin subtīlitāt- (stem of subtīlitās) fineness, equivalent to subtīli(s) subtile + -tāt- -ty²

Related forms

hy·per·sub·tle·ty, nounnon·sub·tle·ty, noun, plural non·sub·tle·ties.o·ver·sub·tle·ty, noun, plural o·ver·sub·tle·ties.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for subtleties

An overwhelming amount of subtleties and implications were going over my head.
What Should I Call the Man I Love?|Dushka Zapata|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It also seemed that Biden had a good grasp of the subtleties of Iraqi politics.
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The apps, which Badasyan decries, have their own subtleties.
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This style of woodfire cooking is prone to sudden fluctuations in temperature due to the subtleties and different sizes of wood.
Brooklyn’s Booming Firewood Industry|Dale Eisinger|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Subtleties of study design and interpretation are pulverized in the name of the sound bite of course, but this is old news.
Could Tylenol Cause ADHD?|Kent Sepkowitz|February 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When those are well established, I search out the subtleties of form and colour.
Corot|Sidney Allnutt
Richard was one who would always deal with entireties, being capable of no divisions nor subtleties of praise or blame.
Madelon|Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
I am only a poor hunter, Seor, ignorant of worldly affairs, and the subtleties of civilization.
The Freebooters|Gustave Aimard
Labyrinthine, subterranean, and full of subtleties as all these creeds appear to be, they are easy enough to comprehend.
Islam Her Moral And Spiritual Value|Arthur Glyn Leonard
Is it not better and more worthy of yourselves than all the subtleties, plottings and petty bargainings of diplomacy?
The Wrack of the Storm|Maurice Maeterlinck

British Dictionary definitions for subtleties

subtlety

/ (ˈsʌtəltɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the state or quality of being subtle; delicacy

a fine distinction or the ability to make such a distinction

something subtle

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

subtlety

noun, plural sub·tle·ties.

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Nearby words

Origin of subtlety

Related forms

Examples from the Web for subtleties

British Dictionary definitions for subtleties

subtlety

noun plural -ties