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nicety

 - 3 dictionary results

ni⋅ce⋅ty

  [nahy-si-tee]
Use nicety in a Sentence
–noun, plural -ties.
1. a delicate or fine point; punctilio: niceties of protocol.
2. a fine distinction; subtlety; detail: the niceties of the filigree work.
3. Usually, niceties. a refined, elegant, or choice feature, as of manner or living: working hard to acquire the niceties of life.
4. exactness or precision.
5. the quality of being nice; niceness.
6. delicacy of character, as of something requiring care or tact: a matter of considerable nicety.
Origin:
1275–1325; ME: silliness, extravagance, cleverness < OF niceté. See nice, -ty
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To nicety
ni·ce·ty   (nī'sĭ-tē)   
n.   pl. ni·ce·ties

  1. The quality of showing or requiring careful, precise treatment: the nicety of a diplomatic exchange.

  2. Delicacy of character or feeling; fastidiousness; scrupulousness.

  3. A fine point, small detail, or subtle distinction: the niceties of etiquette.

  4. An elegant or refined feature; an amenity: the niceties of civilized life.


[Middle English nicete, silliness, exactitude, from Old French, silliness, from nice, silly; see nice.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

nicety 
1366, "folly, stupidity," from O.Fr. niceté "foolishness," from nice "silly" (see nice). Underwent sense evolution parallel to nice, arriving at "minute, subtle point" 1589 and "exactitude" in 1660. Phrase to a nicety "exactly" is attested from 1795.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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