nicety

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noun nice·ty \ ˈnī-sə-tē , -stē \

Definition of nicety

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

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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 of nicety from the Web

And please, please, please, no niceties about Mahle and Herget and whoever else is sleeping in the luggage racks of the Greyhounds.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: Fans should give Reds one more year," 15 Aug. 2017
The reunion After a season of niceties, the pre-finale rendezvous brought the drama.

— patrick crowley, Billboard, "9 Reasons 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Deserves to Snatch All the Emmys," 15 Aug. 2017
However, many people look forward to retirement partly for the joy of finally being independent from the social niceties that crop up at work and which sometimes seem more like a forced connection than a real friendship.

— amy dickinson, chicagotribune.com, "Retired colleague is tired of social work," 23 July 2017
However, many people look forward to retirement partly for the joy of finally being independent from the social niceties that crop up at work and which sometimes seem more like a forced connection than a real friendship.

— amy dickinson, chicagotribune.com, "Retired colleague is tired of social work," 23 July 2017
However, many people look forward to retirement partly for the joy of finally being independent from the social niceties that crop up at work and which sometimes seem more like a forced connection than a real friendship.

— amy dickinson, Detroit Free Press, "Retired colleague is tired of social work," 22 July 2017
The discounts available during this once-a-year sales event provides customers with the justification to purchase these niceties.

— alexander chernev, Fortune, "Why Apple Shouldn’t Follow Amazon’s Lead," 12 July 2017
Add a snowy peak of scallion cream cheese, some sliced onions and summer tomatoes, a scattering of capers and a few other niceties.

— sarah karnasiewicz, WSJ, "Gravlax: The Cure for Breakfast Blahs," 29 June 2017
The Tungsten Edition is Ram’s highest trim level with niceties like a suede headliner — the first time it’s been tried in a truck, according to Morrison — and the most leather of any truck in the marketplace.

— eric d. lawrence, Detroit Free Press, "Fiat Chrysler shows off a new Hellcat, Durango and a luxury Ram pickup," 27 June 2017

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