Meaning & use
niceties
Last updated
“niceties” is a form of “nicety”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Small details or fine points that are important for doing something correctly or politely.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun; it does not have a singular form in this sense. Often followed by 'of': the niceties of the law.
Patterns
- the niceties of something
- observe the niceties
- social niceties
She knows all the niceties of formal letter writing.
The lawyer explained the niceties of the contract to us.
He is not interested in the niceties of grammar; he just wants to communicate.
nounplural
Polite remarks or small acts of courtesy that show good manners.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun. Often in phrases like 'exchange niceties' or 'the usual niceties'.
Patterns
- exchange niceties
- the usual niceties
- social niceties
After exchanging a few niceties, they got down to business.
He skipped the niceties and asked directly for the money.
The meeting began with the usual niceties about the weather.
Word forms
| singular | nicety |
|---|
Common combinations
- the niceties of something
- She is an expert in the niceties of international trade law.
- social niceties
- He never bothers with social niceties like saying thank you.
- exchange niceties
- We exchanged niceties before discussing the real problem.
- observe the niceties
- The host observed all the niceties, greeting each guest personally.
- the usual niceties
- The interview started with the usual niceties.
Synonyms and how they differ
- details
- More general and neutral; 'niceties' suggests small points that require care or politeness, while 'details' can be any small facts.
- courtesies
- Focuses on polite behavior rather than fine points; use 'courtesies' for actions like saying please, and 'niceties' for both manners and technical fine points.
- subtleties
- Emphasizes difficulty in noticing differences; 'niceties' often implies a standard of correctness or politeness, while 'subtleties' is about nuance.
Word family
- nice adjective
- Pleasant or kind; also used in the sense of 'fine' or 'precise' in phrases like 'a nice distinction'.
- nicely adverb
- In a pleasant or satisfactory way.
Commonly confused: niceties or nice?
niceties vs nice
The adjective 'nice' means pleasant or kind, while 'niceties' are small details or polite remarks.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'niceties' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Niceties' is a plural noun meaning polite remarks or small details, so 'exchanged niceties' is correct. The other options use it as an adjective or with wrong grammar.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “niceties”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.