different between niceness vs nicety

English

Etymology

From nice +? -ness.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?na?sn?s/

Noun

niceness (countable and uncountable, plural nicenesses)

1. (obsolete) Silliness; folly. [16th c.]
2. Effeminacy; indulgence in soft living or luxuriousness. [from 16th c.]
3. (obsolete) Shyness; reserve. [16th-19th c.]
   • 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Letter 63:

     Methinks a young create of niceness should be less ready to write to one man, when she is designed to be another's.

4. Fastidiousness; fine sensitivity. [from 17th c.]
5. Pleasantness, especially of behaviour or personality; agreeableness. [from 19th c.]
6. (computing, Unix) A value determining how much processor time to concede to a running process. (See also nice (verb), renice.)

Anagrams

• incenses

English

Etymology

From Middle English nicetee, from Old French niceté (“simpleness, foolishness”), from nice (“simple, foolish”); equivalent to nice +? -ity.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?na?s?ti/

Noun

nicety (countable and uncountable, plural niceties)

1. A small detail or distinction.

   We met the new captain while we were taking enemy fire and were unable to observe the niceties of formal introductions.

   • the fineness and niceties of words

2. Subtlety or precision of use.

   A rocket-propelled grenade doesn't have the nicety of a sniper round, but you must admit its effectiveness.

3. Delicacy of character or feeling usually from excessive refinement; fastidiousness
4. (obsolete) That which is delicate to the taste.

Derived terms

• to a nicety

Translations

Further reading

• nicety in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• nicety in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• nicety at OneLook Dictionary Search