Nuance

How to spell nuance

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce nuance

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does nuance mean?

1. nounA subtle difference or shade of meaning, expression, tone, or colour.

Nuance in a sentence

• The negotiator caught every nuance in the contract wording.

• A good translator preserves the nuance of the original text.

Where does nuance come from?

Language of origin: French

This word comes straight from French, where nuance means a subtle shade or gradation, especially of colour. It was built on the verb nuer, meaning 'to shade' or 'to make gradations of tone', which in turn rests on nue, the French word for 'cloud'. Behind that lies the Latin nubes, also meaning 'cloud', the idea being that clouds shade and soften light into delicate gradations. English adopted the word in the late eighteenth century, first in talk of painting and music before it broadened to mean any fine distinction of meaning or feeling. The unusual 'ua' cluster and the soft French ending are exactly what trip up writers, since the spelling preserves its French look rather than being anglicised.

How the word is built

• nu- (from French nue: cloud, hence shade of colour)
• -ance (noun-forming suffix)