What does indelicacy mean?
Indelicacy denotes a lack of delicacy, tact, or refinement. It may describe conduct or speech that is coarse, ill-judged, or offensive, as well as a broader absence of sensitive taste. The word is more formal and literary than everyday alternatives such as “rudeness” or “tastelessness,” and it often appears in phrases identifying a failure of social manner, such as “an indelicacy of taste.” Although uncommon in general conversation, indelicacy remains useful in discussing etiquette, criticism, social conventions, and historically significant standards of propriety. Its meaning can focus either on the quality displayed by an action or remark or on the offending act itself. Compared with the blunt term “indecency,” it often emphasizes the absence of restraint or tact rather than suggesting a gross violation of sexual or moral propriety.
nounA lack of delicacy, refinement, or tact, especially in conduct, taste, or expression. It can also refer to an action or remark that is considered indecorous or offensive.
- A lack of delicacy, tact, refinement, or taste.
- An action, remark, or form of conduct regarded as indecorous or offensive.
"There was a certain indelicacy in raising the matter so publicly."
"The speech avoided any indelicacy in its discussion of the affair."
"His crude remarks revealed a marked indelicacy of manner."
Used when referring to multiple instances of indecorous conduct, remarks, or failures of taste.
"The memoir is remembered for its social indelicacies rather than its literary merit."
The word indelicacy turns social awkwardness into a matter of etiquette: a remark may be clumsy, or it may display an indelicacy of taste.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does indelicacy come from?
Indelicacy was formed from “indelicate” with the noun-forming suffix “-cy,” expressing the absence of delicacy. “Indelicate” in turn combines the negative prefix “in-” with “delicate,” a word derived from the Latin adjective delicatus. The same Latin root also underlies cognates including “delicacy” and “delicate.”
Related word forms
How indelicacy is actually used
This is a formal and relatively uncommon word. It is especially used in literary criticism and historical accounts of manners or taste, and can sound deliberately restrained when referring to something offensive.