Word a Day
subtlety
What does subtlety mean?
subtlety (noun): the quality of being difficult to detect or analyze.
Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.
How do you use subtlety in a sentence?
- You had to admire the subtlety of the distinctions he drew. (Princeton WordNet 3.1)
How do you pronounce subtlety?
/ˈsʌtəlti/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does subtlety come from?
From Middle English sotilte, from Old French sutilté, inherited from Latin subtīlitās, from subtīlis (“subtle”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “subtlety”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “subtlety” mean?
the quality of being difficult to detect or analyze
Right! That's what “subtlety” means.
a large post, often used as supporting architecture
Not quite: that's what pillar means.
the combination of two or more commercial companies
Not quite: that's what merger means.
the outside boundary, parts or surface of something
Not quite: that's what periphery means.
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