nicety

noun

nice·​ty ˈnī-sə-tē 

-stē

plural niceties

1

: the quality or state of being nice

2

: an elegant, delicate, or civilized feature

enjoy the niceties of life

3

: a fine point or distinction : subtlety

the niceties of table manners

4

: careful attention to details : delicate exactness : precision

5

: delicacy of taste or feeling : fastidiousness

Phrases

to a nicety

: exactly, accurately

… liked doing a quiet business in which they were sure of their customers, and could calculate their returns to a nicety.

—George Eliot

Synonyms

• datum
• detail
• fact
• particular
• particularity
• point
• specific

Examples of nicety in a Sentence

knows all the niceties of diplomatic protocol

a woman too fond of the niceties of urban living to even consider becoming a farmer's wife

Recent Examples on the Web

Indeed, one marvels at how often the protesters for Palestine have been treated like the freshman reader of Lolita who, lacking the niceties of the contemplative attitude, objects to all that business with the pedophile. —Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024

Others, such as the Pulitzer Prize-winning conservative columnist Westbrook Pegler, skipped the niceties and went straight to accusing their fellow citizens of being enemy saboteurs. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024

The camera advances without the niceties of expertise, conveying the bodily and mental effort of every step taken toward Israeli forces. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024

With five weeks until Election Day, this is not the time for petit niceties but rather petty needling. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English nicete, from Anglo-French niceté foolishness, from nice, adjective

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

nicety

noun

nice·​ty ˈnī-sət-ē 

-stē

plural niceties

1

: a dainty, delicate, or elegant thing

enjoy the niceties of life

2

: a small point or detail

niceties of table manners

3

: careful attention to details

nicety is needed in making watches

4

: the point at which a thing is at its best

roasted to a nicety