SUBTLETY

subtlety, niceness

(noun) the quality of being difficult to detect or analyze; “you had to admire the subtlety of the distinctions he drew”

nuance, nicety, shade, subtlety, refinement

(noun) a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude; “without understanding the finer nuances you can’t enjoy the humor”; “don’t argue about shades of meaning”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

subtlety (countable and uncountable, plural subtleties)

(uncountable) The quality of being subtle.

(of things) The quality of being scarcely noticeable or difficult to discern.

(of things) The quality of being done in a clever way that is not obvious or not direct; the quality of being carefully thought out.

Synonym: refinement

(of people) The quality of being able to achieve one's aims through clever, delicate or indirect methods.

Synonyms: discretion, finesse, savoir-faire

(of people) The quality of being able to notice or understand things that are not obvious.

Synonyms: acumen, perceptiveness, perspicacity

(countable) An instance of being subtle, a subtle thing, especially a subtle argument or distinction.

Synonyms: nicety, nuance

(countable, historical) An ornate medieval illusion dish or table decoration, especially when made from one thing but crafted to look like another.

(uncountable, countable, archaic) The quality of being clever in surreptitious or deceitful behaviour; an act or argument that shows this quality.

Synonyms: artifice, craftiness, cunning, deceitfulness, slyness, trickery

(countable, obsolete) A trick that creates a false appearance.

Synonyms: deception, illusion

(uncountable, obsolete) The property of having a low density or thin consistency.

(uncountable, obsolete) The property of being able to penetrate materials easily.

Synonyms: penetrancy, piercingness

Source: Wiktionary

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Sub"tle*ty, n.; pl. Subtleties. Etym: [OE. sotelte, sutilte, OF. sotillete, L. subtilitas. See Subtle, and cf. Subtility.]

1. The quality or state of being subtle, or sly; cunning; craftiness; artfulness. The fox which lives by subtlety. Shak.

2. Nice discernment with delicacy of mental action; nicety of discrimination.

3. Something that is sly, crafty, or delusive. Unlearned in the world's false subtleties. Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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