subtlety
subtlety Lexical Profile
subtlety Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The quality or state of being delicate, understated, or precise rather than obvious or overt.
"The director's use of lighting showed remarkable subtlety in conveying the character's changing mood."
A fine, complex, or delicate distinction, detail, or aspect of something (often used in the plural).
"It takes years of study to appreciate all the legal subtleties of constitutional law."
Mental keenness, acuity, or the ability to make fine distinctions and perceive elusive truths.
"Her philosophical essays are celebrated for their intellectual subtlety and analytical rigor."
• Rhymes for subtlety
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Old French soutilte, which derives from Latin subtilitatem ('fineness, slenderness, or acuteness'). The silent 'b' was reintroduced during the Renaissance by scholars eager to reflect the word's classical Latin spelling.