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

Colleagues had been quick to criticize my violations of unwritten rules regarding how women should lead—rules dictating niceties, get-in-line supportiveness, and instruction with subtlety. —TIME, 18 Apr. 2024

Created by and starring the Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, the HBO show spent 24 years both probing humanity’s depravity (not unlike said plane-urination incident) and questioning the veneer of interpersonal niceties (such as politely praising the mediocre food at a dinner party). —Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2024

Granted, niceties like massaging front seats and a booming 19-speaker McIntosh surround-sound stereo are beyond what the Passport offers. —Nick Kurczewski, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2024

My test car wore the Pinnacle trim, which brings many niceties. —Mark Ewing, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

Upgrading gets you email and spam protection, parental control, safe banking, and other niceties. —PCMAG, 26 Mar. 2024

For one thing, an alien culture in which the frankness and frisson of New York are replaced with mysterious rules and empty niceties. —Boris Kachka, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024

But a key witness also testified that such conversations were superficial in nature, extending only to niceties like the weather or fishing. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 29 Feb. 2024

New models come complete with battery backups and wireless connectivity, even niceties like laser proximity detectors. —Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 20 June 2023

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

Phrases Containing nicety

• to a nicety

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