subtlety

[suht-l-tee]

noun

plural

subtleties 

1. the state or quality of being subtle.

2. delicacy or nicety of character or meaning.

3. acuteness or penetration of mind; delicacy of discrimination.

4. a fine-drawn distinction; refinement of reasoning.

   the subtleties of logic.

5. something subtle.

6. 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.

subtlety

/ ˈsʌtəltɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being subtle; delicacy

2. a fine distinction or the ability to make such a distinction

3. something subtle

Other Word Forms

• hypersubtlety noun
• nonsubtlety noun
• oversubtlety noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of subtlety¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English subtelte, sutilte, from Old French sutilte, from Latin subtīlitāt-, stem of subtīlitās “fineness,” equivalent to subtīli(s) “fine, slender” ( subtile ) + -ty ²

Example Sentences

But commercialism has won out over art, which is to say obviousness has run roughshod over subtlety.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It was a message sent with a bullhorn, a move made with all the subtlety of an elbow to the ribs.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Also subtlety: The musical wilts under the weight of its many bombastic numbers and passages of clichéd dialogue.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

We are not a nation of subtlety or patience.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Other names and products are plunked before us with the subtlety of a manhole cover dropped from a great height.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• elegance 
• intricacy