subtlety

[ suht-l-tee ]

/ ˈsʌt l ti /

SEE 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.

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

OTHER WORDS FROM subtlety

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

Words nearby subtlety

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

Example sentences 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.

Exposed: The White House’s Professor-in-Chief |Jonathan Alter |October 8, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The apps, which Badasyan decries, have their own subtleties.

Sex-Crazed Narcissist Pretends He's an Artist |Justin Jones |August 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
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

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

subtlety

noun, plural sub·tle·ties.

Origin of subtlety

OTHER WORDS FROM subtlety

Words nearby subtlety

Example sentences from the Web for subtleties

British Dictionary definitions for subtleties

noun plural -ties

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

subtlety

noun, plural sub·tle·ties.

Origin of subtlety

OTHER WORDS FROM subtlety

Words nearby subtlety

Words related to subtleties

Example sentences from the Web for subtleties

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noun plural -ties

British Dictionary definitions for subtleties