nuance

Definition

A minor distinction.

Etymology

Borrowed from French nuance (“nuance, shade, hue”). Several steps omitting from Latin nūbēs. Compare typologically Italian sfumatura (< Latin fūmus).

Example Sentences

• "hidden nuances"
• "Understanding the basics is easy, but appreciating the nuances takes years."
• "[…] 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 […]"