nuance
noun
Scott Seegers Ben F. Nelms Michael Swaine Irvine Kolodin
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The history of nuance starts in Latin with the noun nūbēs, meaning "cloud." Nūbēs 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.
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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. 1989Still, 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.
Example Sentences
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 Essence, 6 Sep. 2022 Speech synthesis to us is not just the words themselves, but the nuance of creating the full richness of voice, like intonation and rhythm, in real time. Daniela Hernandez, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 The tiny flickers of hurt, anger or betrayal that play across her face, alert to every nuance of her partner’s behavior, point painfully to a relationship in which the balance of trust is unequal. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2022 Jameson, though, evaluates himself with the nuance of a player with far more than two seasons of professional experience. Theo Mackie, The Arizona Republic, 23 Aug. 2022 The novel’s racists — including both classic bigots, like Harry’s parents, and white liberals, like Harry — lack the nuance of real anti-Blackness. New York Times, 12 July 2022 Perhaps there can be understanding, listening, nuance, and flexibility in each company to gingerly navigate their way forward, and humbly correct course when needed. Curt Steinhorst, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022 There’s so much nuance to the world’s most ubiquitous seasoning agent and, in turn, so much misunderstanding. Lisa Elbert, Bon Appétit, 15 Aug. 2022 Motherhood can be a joy and blessing, but there’s also nuance to the choices women who become mothers make. Wisdom Iheanyichukwu, refinery29.com, 12 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
French, from Middle French, shade of color, from nuer to make shades of color, from nue cloud, from Latin nubes; perhaps akin to Welsh nudd mist
1781, in the meaning defined at sense 1