nicety C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas US /ˈnaɪsɪti/ UK /ˈnaɪsɪti/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a fine or subtle point of detail or distinction He observed every social nicety, never arriving without a small gift. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a fine or subtle point of... subtletyrefinementdistinctiondetaildelicacyprecisionnuance ↔ Opposites crudenessgeneralization Word family Related forms nicenicenessnicely Etymology AI details From Middle English nicete, from Old French niceté ('foolishness, simplicity'), from nice, from Latin nescius ('ignorant'). niceté Old French nescius Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # nicety **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈnaɪsɪti/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈnaɪsɪti/ ## Meanings 1. a fine or subtle point of detail or distinction ## Examples - He observed every social nicety, never arriving without a small gift. ## Synonyms - subtlety - refinement - distinction - detail - delicacy - precision - nuance ## Antonyms - crudeness - generalization ## Related Forms - nice - niceness - nicely ## Roots and Affixes - Root: niceté - Root: nescius ## Etymology From Middle English nicete, from Old French niceté ('foolishness, simplicity'), from nice, from Latin nescius ('ignorant'). ## AI Etymology Nicety comes from Middle English nicete, from Old French niceté ('foolishness, simplicity'), from nice, from Latin nescius ('ignorant'). The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As a noun, it denotes "a fine or subtle point of detail or distinction", keeping the historical idea close to its dictionary sense. Relevant historical forms include Old French niceté and Latin nescius. Related words include nice, niceness, nicely. ## Topics - Abstract Ideas - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown