finely

adverb fine·ly \ ˈfīn-lē \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Definition of finely

: in a fine manner: such as

a : extremely well : excellently

plays the hero very finely
—New Yorker

b : with close discrimination : precisely

c : with delicacy or subtlety : sensitively

a leader finely attuned to the needs of the people

d : minutely

finely ground meal

Recent Examples of finely from the Web

Because individual workers’ output is finely measured, and their proficiency at completing a task becomes part of their online profiles, no one can be lazy and get away with it.

— The Economist, "Run, TaskRabbit, run: July 2030," 5 July 2018
Pulse the pretzels with the salt and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a food processor until finely crushed.

— susan selasky, charlotteobserver, "Celebrate the Fourth with minimal fuss, maximum flavor," 3 July 2018
Gerald was quiet, painfully shy, finely inscrutable.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Morning Line: After Annapolis killings, Doc asks what the hell is wrong with us," 2 July 2018
Yet, despite excessive heat, wind and string solos in the orchestra were played finely, and even Moser’s third-movement high trill that began at the threshhold of audibility remained soft and pure.

— alan artner, chicagotribune.com, "In the heat, Moser, Grant Park Orchestra perform a delicate Dvorak," 30 June 2018
Whisk together the dry ingredients: cornmeal (either medium or finely ground will do), salt, and a ton of pepper.

— jesse sparks, Bon Appetit, "These Extra-Corny Cornbread Muffins Are No Joke," 21 June 2018
Keoghan is the central character here, delivering a finely nuanced portrait of apathy turned to amorality.

— michael o’sullivan, kansascity, "‘American Animals’: True crime that’s entertaining and profound," 21 June 2018
The 100 percent Wagyu patty is roughly chopped rather than finely ground, formed into a ball, and cooked smash-burger style on a flattop.

— stan parish, WSJ, "‘Go Beyond Sushi’: Tokyo’s Culinary Gems," 19 June 2018
The museum has already taken some steps to protect the artwork, like installing smart LEDs last year which allow them to control the light spectrum hitting the paintings and more finely control the brightness and hours of light paintings receive.

— chris stirewalt, Fox News, "There's more to primary day than California," 4 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'finely.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.