Subtly

How to spell subtly

6 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce subtly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does subtly mean?

1. adverbIn a delicate or understated way that is not immediately obvious.

Subtly in a sentence

• The lighting was subtly adjusted so the room felt warmer.

• She subtly steered the conversation back to the budget.

Where does subtly come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin subtilis, meaning 'fine', 'thin', or 'delicate', and by extension 'precise' or 'discerning'. The Latin term was originally a weaving image, formed from sub 'under' and tela 'web' or 'woven cloth' (itself from texere, 'to weave'), so the literal idea was of something finely woven, thread by thread. English took it in during the 1300s by way of Old French, where it was often spelled sotil or subtil without the b actually being sounded. Scholars later reinserted the b to make the spelling visibly match the Latin original, even though no one pronounces it, which is exactly why the word looks heavier than it sounds. The adverb subtly then dropped the final e of subtle before adding -ly, giving the awkward run of consonants that catches writers out today.

How the word is built

• subt- (from Latin subtilis: fine, delicate)
• -ly (adverb suffix; the silent b is kept from the Latin spelling)