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
George Eliot
Synonyms
- datum
- detail
- fact
- particular
- particularity
- point
- specific
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 The other reason Democrats are flipping out is that Mr. Cervas paid little attention to the usual political nicety of incumbent protection. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 17 May 2022 Assure them that this is the way both of you were raised, and the nicety is regional. Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 29 Nov. 2021 Before there was Big Tech, there were the Big Three: Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors—and an infamous memo that cemented in the collective consciousness of the American public that strong regulation was a necessity, not a nicety. Mar Hicks, Wired, 14 Oct. 2021 But there was no statement of joint resolve to cooperate on any of those issues, the sort of diplomatic nicety that routinely seals such high-level meetings. New York Times, 19 Mar. 2021 Being a good loser isn’t a norm or a nicety of democracy. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2020 The traditional nicety was one of several formalities abandoned because of the ongoing pandemic. Katelyn Umholtz, NOLA.com, 29 Sep. 2020 Prefacing this sensitive subject with a nicety is most polite. Hannah Herrera Greenspan, chicagotribune.com, 5 Aug. 2020 Prefacing this sensitive subject with a nicety is most polite. Hannah Herrera Greenspan, chicagotribune.com, 5 Aug. 2020 See More
The Editorial Board, WSJ, 17 May 2022 Assure them that this is the way both of you were raised, and the nicety is regional. Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 29 Nov. 2021 Before there was Big Tech, there were the Big Three: Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors—and an infamous memo that cemented in the collective consciousness of the American public that strong regulation was a necessity, not a nicety. Mar Hicks, Wired, 14 Oct. 2021 But there was no statement of joint resolve to cooperate on any of those issues, the sort of diplomatic nicety that routinely seals such high-level meetings. New York Times, 19 Mar. 2021 Being a good loser isn’t a norm or a nicety of democracy. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2020 The traditional nicety was one of several formalities abandoned because of the ongoing pandemic. Katelyn Umholtz, NOLA.com, 29 Sep. 2020 Prefacing this sensitive subject with a nicety is most polite. Hannah Herrera Greenspan, chicagotribune.com, 5 Aug. 2020 Prefacing this sensitive subject with a nicety is most polite. Hannah Herrera Greenspan, chicagotribune.com, 5 Aug. 2020 See More 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
Kids Definition
nicety
noun
ni·ce·ty ˈnī-sə-tē
plural niceties
1
: something dainty, delicate, or of especially good quality
2
: a fine detail that is considered part of polite or proper behavior
Grandma taught me the niceties of setting a table.
nicety
noun
1
as in fact
a single piece of information knows all the niceties of diplomatic protocol Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- fact
- detail
- particular
- specific
- element
- particularity
- point
- article
- factor
- item
- datum
- part
- aspect
- circumstance
- component
- information
- evidence
- ingredient
- knowledge
- facet
- member
- constituent
- exhibit
- database
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- error
- fallacy
- falsehood
- misconception
- inaccuracy
- myth
- misstatement
2
as in convenience
something that adds to one's ease of living a woman too fond of the niceties of urban living to even consider becoming a farmer's wife Synonyms & Similar Words
- convenience
- luxury
- amenity
- benefit
- comfort
- mod con
- service
- creature comfort
- bonus
- accommodation
- indulgence
- extra
- joy
- solace
- pleasure
- delight
- anodyne
- help
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- burden
- weight
- millstone
3
as in precision
the quality or state of being very accurate there's a nicety of detail in his meticulously painted landscapes Synonyms & Similar Words
- precision
- accuracy
- preciseness
- perfection
- exactness
- exactitude
- fidelity
- rigor
- definiteness
- fineness
- truth
- delicacy
- veracity
- definitiveness
- rigorousness
- strictness
- accurateness
- correctness
- subtlety
- closeness
- rightness
- fastidiousness
- ultraprecision
- meticulousness
- determinacy
- carefulness
- definitude
- care
- persnicketiness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- imprecision
- coarseness
- roughness
- inaccuracy
- approximation
- inexactitude
- inexactness
- roundness
- impreciseness
- incorrectness
- falsity
- carelessness
- wrongness
- falseness
- vagueness
- guesswork
- looseness
- indefiniteness