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

• fact
• detail

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

But the Court is not deterred by these constitutional niceties. —Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025

Leveling the Playing Field Access to fast, lag-free connectivity is no longer some nicety. —Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025

That has been applied broadly across his early moves, from his fights with the judiciary and break from governance norms to bucking diplomatic niceties and hitting allies with steep tariffs. —Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2025

The downside is that it hasn’t been renovated recently and lacks some modern niceties, like central air and a dishwasher. —Kim Velsey, Curbed, 13 May 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