Definition of NUANCES

Nuance: So Subtle You Might Miss It

Although nuance is defined as "a subtle distinction or variation," the adjective subtle is frequently seen modifying the noun:

Ms. Fyfield is remarkably thorough in her psychological profiles, giving subtle nuances to characters who are mere passers-by in this psychodrama.
Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review, 27 Aug. 1989

Still, the beloved diva sustained exquisite control of her vast vocal resources, enriching line after line with gleaming tone and subtle nuance.
Martin Bernheimer, The Financial Times, 15 Nov. 2016

Since the definition of nuance already connotes subtlety—we don't speak of blatant or obvious nuances—some might regard the use of subtle as a modifier here to be redundant. But the fact of its frequent use is an indication that the connotation of subtlety in nuance might itself be too subtle to be picked up by many English speakers.

Did You Know?

The history of "nuance" starts in Latin with the noun nubes, meaning "cloud." "Nubes" floated into Middle French as nue, also meaning "cloud," and "nue" gave rise to nuer, meaning "to make shades of color." "Nuer" in turn produced "nuance," which in Middle French meant shade of color. English borrowed "nuance" from French, with the meaning "a subtle distinction or variation," in the late 18th century. That use persists today. Additionally, "nuance" is sometimes used in a specific musical sense, designating a subtle, expressive variation in a musical performance (such as in tempo, dynamic intensity, or timbre) that is not indicated in the score.

Examples of nuance in a Sentence

Between the lines of lexicographical nuance and quotation, Johnson was paying old debts and seeking out wisdom about himself and his adopted city, as well as compiling perhaps the greatest commonplace book in the history of mankind. — Andrew O'Hagan, New York Review, 27 Apr. 2006 In every silky statement from General Musharraf about the need for a short—in other words: limited—war, and in every nuance of the Pakistani official posture, I was sure I detected the local version of Schadenfreude. — Christopher Hitchens, Vanity Fair, January 2002 To La Farge, eccentricity meant convention; a mind really eccentric never betrayed it. True eccentricity was a tone—a shade—a nuance—and the finer the tone, the truer the eccentricity. — Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams, 1907 He listened to the subtle nuances in the song. a poem of little depth and nuance

Recent Examples on the Web

Comer goes toe-to-toe with the more experienced Oh and brings nuance to the role—a little bit of history and humanity to what might otherwise be a straightforward sociopath. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Jodie Comer of 'Killing Eve' Is One of the Most Captivating Actresses of Her Time," 4 Jan. 2019 Thousands of colors in all their shades and their nuances. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "How Peter Jackson’s team made World War I footage look new," 15 Dec. 2018 But there’s nuance required, because bar stock isn’t the easiest stuff to drill through. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "The Strange Magic of Two-Handled Tools," 1 Dec. 2018 That’s right, cosmic warriors, the planets within the Houses reveal the full scope of our experience and the nuances of our personality. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "The 12 Astrological Houses: Interpreting Your Birth Chart Beyond the Zodiac," 6 Oct. 2018 Over the course of two days, the team captured the nuances of the tomb’s chambers and passages using 3D scanning technology and thousands of overlapping DSLR photographs, according to a CuriosityStream press release. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Take a VR Tour of an Egyptian Queen’s Elaborate Tomb," 12 July 2018 The squad of third- and fourth-graders have put together one solid match after another as the young athletes work on skill development and learn the various nuances of a sport growing in popularity. — Emmett Hall, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Weston Warriors under-10 lacrosse club continues its winning ways," 5 June 2018 There are some nuances in how this number is calculated—most employees can be excluded, for example—but Tesla likely has more than 2,000 shareholders under any reasonable definition. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "There’s a big problem with Elon Musk’s plan to take Tesla private," 9 Aug. 2018 In the midst of all these fragments straining for togetherness, there is, in fact, nuance and grace. — Eve Macsweeney, Vogue, "In Jeanne McCulloch’s Memoir, Love and Death on Long Island," 26 July 2018

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