nicety

noun

nice·​ty ˈnī-sə-tē 

-stē

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

Phrases

to a nicety

: exactly, accurately

… liked doing a quiet business in which they were sure of their customers, and could calculate their returns to a nicety.

—George Eliot

Synonyms

• datum
• detail
• fact
• particular
• particularity
• point
• specific

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 on the Web

Donald Trump has proposed instead for the United States to use its economic and military predominance as tools of naked coercion, dispensing entirely with the niceties of international agreements and even domestic constitutional constraint. —Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025

Aim for quality over quantity. Include a specific question in each message that extends the conversation beyond niceties. —Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

When the niceties of society are stripped away and when the rules are stripped away? —Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025

Rooms even come equipped with niceties like his and her straw hats and handwoven beach bags, and all of these are yours to keep. —Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English nicete, from Anglo-French niceté foolishness, from nice, adjective

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

nicety

noun

nice·​ty ˈnī-sət-ē 

-stē

plural niceties

1

: a dainty, delicate, or elegant thing

enjoy the niceties of life

2

: a small point or detail

niceties of table manners

3

: careful attention to details

nicety is needed in making watches

4

: the point at which a thing is at its best

roasted to a nicety