subtlety
Pronunciation: /ˈsʌt(ə)lti/
The English word “subtlety” has 10 meanings listed here.
noun
- The quality of being scarcely noticeable or difficult to discern. (of things)
- The quality of being done in a clever way that is not obvious or not direct; the quality of being carefully thought out. (of things)
- The quality of being able to achieve one's aims through clever, delicate or indirect methods. (of people)
- The quality of being able to notice or understand things that are not obvious. (of people)
- An instance of being subtle, a subtle thing, especially a subtle argument or distinction.
- An ornate medieval illusion dish or table decoration, especially when made from one thing but crafted to look like another.
- The quality of being clever in surreptitious or deceitful behaviour; an act or argument that shows this quality.
- A trick that creates a false appearance.
- The property of having a low density or thin consistency.
- The property of being able to penetrate materials easily.
Etymology
From Middle English sotilte, from Old French sutilté, inherited from Latin subtīlitās, from subtīlis (“subtle”). Equivalent to subtle + -ty. Doublet of subtility.
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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.