# nuance

Pronunciation: say "NYOO-ahns" US /ˈnju.ɑns/, UK /ˈnjuː.ɑːns/, AUS /ˈnjʉː.ɐːns/

## Noun

1. A subtle difference in meaning, expression, tone, or feeling; subtlety, or attention to fine distinctions.
   - Simple: A very small difference in meaning, feeling, or sound that is easy to miss, or care about such small differences.
   - _The debate left little room for nuance, with each side reducing the issue to a slogan._
   - _A good translator catches the nuances of tone that a word-for-word version loses._

## Verb

2. To change or redefine something subtly, adding a slight shade of difference to it.
   - Simple: To change or adjust something in a small, careful way.
   - _In the revised edition, the author nuances several of his earlier claims about the war._
   - _Diplomats spent the night trying to nuance the statement so that neither side would take offense._

## Origin

Borrowed from French nuance ("nuance, shade, hue"), which goes back through several steps to Latin nūbēs.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/nuance (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).