# finesse

> English word · Noun · IPA /fɪˈnɛs/ · frequency rank #22,970

## Definitions
1. Skill in the handling or manipulation of a situation.
2. The property of having elegance, grace, refinement, or skill.
3. An adroit manoeuvre.
4. In bridge, whist, etc.: a technique which allows one to win a trick, usually by playing a card when it is thought that a card that can beat it is held by another player whose turn is over.

## Etymology
From Middle English finesse (“degree of excellence; (of metal) fineness, purity”), from Middle French finesse, Old French finesse (“fineness; delicacy; slenderness”), from fine, fin (“fine, thin”) (from Latin fīnis (“end”); compare Middle English fīn (“of superior quality; precious, valuable; admirable, pleasing; pure, refined; fineness, purity; delicate, exquisite, fine; sharp, thin”)) + -esse (suffix forming nouns describing the condition of being something).
The verb is derived from the noun.

## Easily confused with
- **finest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/finesse-vs-finest)
- **fitness** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/finesse-vs-fitness)
- **fines** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fines-vs-finesse)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ffinesse`, `fiensse`, `finese`, `fineses`, `finnesse`, `finsese`, `fniesse`, `ifnesse`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/finesse