Definition of "subtlety"

subtlety

/ˈsʌt(ə)lti/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural subtleties
1. (uncountable) The quality of being subtle.
  1. The quality of being scarcely noticeable or difficult to discern. (of things)
    Quotations
    […] he had a lifetime of skill in interpreting his father’s gestures: those bent knees meant that something of great subtlety was about to be revealed.
    1964, Saul Bellow, Herzog‎, New York: Viking, pages 248–249
  2. The quality of being done in a clever way that is not obvious or not direct; the quality of being carefully thought out. (of things)
  3. The quality of being able to achieve one's aims through clever, delicate or indirect methods. (of people)
    Quotations
    European women often boss their men too, but with a beguiling subtlety unknown to most American females.
    1979, William Styron, chapter 3, in Sophie’s Choice‎, New York: Random House, page 74
  4. The quality of being able to notice or understand things that are not obvious. (of people)
    Quotations
    To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Proverbs 1:4
    his subtilty in thinking and reasoning were profound,
    1770, Oliver Goldsmith, The Life of Henry St. John, Lord Viscount Bolingbroke‎, London: T. Davies, page 7
2. (countable) An instance of being subtle, a subtle thing, especially a subtle argument or distinction.
  Quotations
  […] she [Wisdom] knoweth the subtilties of wordes, and the solutions of darke sentences:
  1561, William Whittingham et al. (translators), Geneva Bible, Wisdom of Solomon 8.8
  For I, and no doubt You, have long obſerved, that thoſe Dialectical ſubtleties, that the Schoolmen too often employ about Phyſiological Myſteries, are vvont much more to declare the vvit of him that uſes them, then increaſe the knovvledge or remove the doubts of ſober lovers of truth. And such captious ſubtleties do indeed often puzzle and ſometimes ſilence men, but rarely ſatisfy them.
  1661, Robert Boyle, “Physiological Considerations Touching the Experiments Wont to be Employed to Evince either the IV Peripatetick Elements, or the III Chymical Principls of Mixt Bodies. Part of the First Dialogue.”, in The Sceptical Chymist: or Chymico-physical Doubts & Paradoxes, […], London: […] J. Cadwell for J. Crooke, […], pages 14–15
  It is your turn now […] to support your philosophical subtilties against the dictates of plain reason and experience.
  1779, David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion‎, Part 10, p. 112
  She could not explain the subtleties of her feeling as clearly as he could state his opinion, even though she had skill in speech, and her father had none.
  1886 May – 1887 April, Thomas Hardy, chapter 6, in The Woodlanders […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London, New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., published 1887, page 104
  His body was as insensitive to pain as was his mind to subtleties.
  1952, John Steinbeck, East of Eden‎, London: Heinemann, Part 4, Chapter 36, p. 366
3. (countable, historical) An ornate medieval illusion dish or table decoration, especially when made from one thing but crafted to look like another.
  Quotations
  the seruice […] was sumpteous, with many subtleties, straunge deuises, with seuerall poses, and many deintie dishes.
  1548, Edward Hall, “The triumphaunt reigne of Kyng Henry the .VIII.”, in The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre [and] Yorke‎, London: Richard Grafton
4. (uncountable, countable, archaic) The quality of being clever in surreptitious or deceitful behaviour; an act or argument that shows this quality.
  Quotations
  When eyther Hare or Deare, or any other chase vseth subtleties to deceyue the houndes, we saye they crosse or double.
  1575, George Gascoigne, “Termes generall of the huntesman, in hunting of any chase”, in The Noble Arte of Venerie of Hunting‎, London: Christopher Barker, page 243
  [She] resolued now with plainnesse to winne trust, which trust she might after deceyue with a greater subtletie.
  c. 1580 (date written), Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “The Second Booke”, in Fulke Greville, Matthew Gwinne, and John Florio, editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590; republished in Albert Feuillerat, editor, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (Cambridge English Classics: The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; I), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1912, page 181
  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
  1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], 2 Corinthians 11:3
  […] the Spy was deceiv’d rather by the Art and Subtlety of Ulysses, than by his Falshood.
  1715–1720, Homer, [Alexander] Pope, transl., “(please specify the book of the Iliad or chapter quoted from)”, in The Iliad of Homer, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], page 136
  Mr. Elliot’s subtleties, in endeavouring to prevent [the marriage]
  1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter X, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volumes (please specify |volume=III or IV), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), page 220
5. (countable, obsolete) A trick that creates a false appearance.
  Quotations
  You doe yet tasteSome subtleties o’ th’ Isle, that will not let youBeleeue things certaine:
  1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act V, scene i]
6. (uncountable, obsolete) The property of having a low density or thin consistency.
  Quotations
  Therefore at Paris where naturally, and also through the aboundance of filth that is about the Citie, the Aire is darke and grosse, the pestilent Infection is lesse fierce and contagious then it is in Prouince, for the subtletie of the Aire stimulates or helps forward the Plague.
  1630, Thomas Johnson (translator/editor), A Treatise of the Plague […] Collected out of the workes of […] Ambrose Parey, London, Chapter 11, p. 33
  About the Air is to be considered, its Temperature as to Heat, Dryness and Moisture, and the Measures of them, its Weight, Clearness, Refractive Power, its Subtilty or Grosness […]
  1692, Robert Boyle, General Heads for the Natural History of a Country Great or Small Drawn Out for the Use of Travellers and Navigators‎, London: John Tailor and S. Hedford, page 3
7. (uncountable, obsolete) The property of being able to penetrate materials easily.
  Quotations
  Hence we see the amazing Subtlety of this Fire, which pervades Glass as readily as if nothing were in the Way.
  1760, John Wesley, The Desideratum; or, Electricity Made Plain and Useful‎, London, pages 37–38

Definition of "subtlety"

subtlety

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