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subtlety

sub·tle·ty
S s

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [suht-l-tee]
    • /ˈsʌt l ti/
    • /ˈsʌt.l̩.ti/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [suht-l-tee]
    • /ˈsʌt l ti/

Definitions of subtlety word

  • noun plural subtlety the state or quality of being subtle. 1
  • noun plural subtlety delicacy or nicety of character or meaning. 1
  • noun plural subtlety acuteness or penetration of mind; delicacy of discrimination. 1
  • noun plural subtlety a fine-drawn distinction; refinement of reasoning: the subtleties of logic. 1
  • noun plural subtlety something subtle. 1
  • noun plural subtlety 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. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of subtlety

First appearance:

before 1300
One of the 15% oldest English words
1300-50; Middle English subtelte, sutilte < Old French sutilte < Latin subtīlitāt- (stem of subtīlitās) fineness, equivalent to subtīli(s) subtile + -tāt- -ty2

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Subtlety

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

subtlety popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 92% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.

subtlety usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for subtlety

noun subtlety

  • abstruseness — hard to understand; recondite; esoteric: abstruse theories.
  • acuities — sharpness; acuteness; keenness: acuity of vision; acuity of mind.
  • acuity — Acuity is sharpness of vision or hearing, or quickness of thought.
  • airiness — the quality or condition of being fresh, light, or breezy
  • big stick — force or the threat of using force

Antonyms for subtlety

noun subtlety

  • garishness — crudely or tastelessly colorful, showy, or elaborate, as clothes or decoration.

Top questions with subtlety

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See also

Matching words

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