nuance

Etymology

Borrowed from French nuance (“nuance, shade, hue”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈnjuː.ɑːns/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈnuː.ɑːns/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

nuance (countable and uncountable, plural nuances)

1. A minor distinction.
2. Subtlety or fine detail.

   Understanding the basics is easy, but appreciating the nuances takes years.

   • 1901: Alpheus Spring Packard, Lamarck, the Founder of Evolution

     ...the richer our collections become, the more numerous are the proofs that all is more or less shaded (nuance), that the remarkable differences become obliterated...

   • 2016 March 13, John Oliver, “Encryption”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 3, episode 5, HBO:

     It’s a miracle Lindsey Graham has met the concept of nuance. And this is the man who once warned “the world is literally about to blow up.” So you’re not dealing with someone who likes to dabble with grey areas.

Verb

nuance (third-person singular simple present nuances, present participle nuancing, simple past and past participle nuanced)

1. (transitive) To apply a nuance to; to change or redefine in a subtle way.

Etymology

Borrowed from French nuance.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /nyˈʋɑ̃sə/, /nyˈʋɑnsə/
• Hyphenation: nu‧an‧ce

Noun

nuance c (plural nuances or nuancen, diminutive nuanceje n or nuancetje n)

1. nuance, subtle distinction

Etymology

nuer +‎ -ance

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɥɑ̃s/

• Audio (France)

  (file)

• Homophone: nuances
• Rhymes: -ɑ̃s

Noun

nuance f (plural nuances)

1. nuance
2. gradation of colors
3. (music) dynamics

Further reading

• “nuance” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Noun

nuance f (plural nuances)

1. Alternative form of nuança