Definify.com
Webster 1828 Edition
Subtil
SUB'TIL
,Adj.
1.
Thin; not dense or gross; as subtil air; subtil vapor; a subtil medium.2.
Nice; fine; delicate. I do distinguish plain
Each subtil line of her immortal face.
3.
Acute; piercing; as subtil pain.4.
Sly; artful; cunning; crafty; insinuating; as a subtil person; a subtil adversary.5.
Planned by art; deceitful; as a subtil scheme.6.
Deceitful; treacherous.7.
Refined; fine; acute; as a subtil argument.Definition 2024
subtil
subtil
English
Adjective
subtil (comparative more subtil, superlative most subtil)
- (obsolete) Subtle.
- 1611, Bible (KJV):, Genesis 3:1
- Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
- 1611, Bible (KJV):, Genesis 3:1
References
- “subtil” in An American Dictionary of the English Language, by Noah Webster, 1828.
Catalan
Adjective
subtil m, f (masculine and feminine plural subtils)
Derived terms
- subtilesa
- subtilment
Danish
Etymology
From Latin subtīlis (“fine, thin”), from sub + tēla (“a web”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /subtiːl/, [sub̥ˈtˢiːˀl]
Adjective
subtil
Inflection
| Inflection of subtil | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative | |
| Common singular | subtil | — | —2 |
| Neuter singular | subtilt | — | —2 |
| Plural | subtile | — | —2 |
| Definite attributive1 | subtile | — | — |
| 1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. 2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively. | |||
French
Etymology
Semi-learned term, modified from the inherited Old French sotil, soutil after the original etymology, Latin subtīlis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
subtil m (feminine singular subtile, masculine plural subtils, feminine plural subtiles)
German
Etymology
Borrowing from Latin subtīlis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
subtil (comparative subtiler, superlative am subtilsten)
Related terms
Declension
Positive forms of subtil
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
| predicative | er ist subtil | sie ist subtil | es ist subtil | sie sind subtil | |
| strong declension (without article) |
nominative | subtiler | subtile | subtiles | subtile |
| genitive | subtilen | subtiler | subtilen | subtiler | |
| dative | subtilem | subtiler | subtilem | subtilen | |
| accusative | subtilen | subtile | subtiles | subtile | |
| weak declension (with definite article) |
nominative | der subtile | die subtile | das subtile | die subtilen |
| genitive | des subtilen | der subtilen | des subtilen | der subtilen | |
| dative | dem subtilen | der subtilen | dem subtilen | den subtilen | |
| accusative | den subtilen | die subtile | das subtile | die subtilen | |
| mixed declension (with indefinite article) |
nominative | ein subtiler | eine subtile | ein subtiles | (keine) subtilen |
| genitive | eines subtilen | einer subtilen | eines subtilen | (keiner) subtilen | |
| dative | einem subtilen | einer subtilen | einem subtilen | (keinen) subtilen | |
| accusative | einen subtilen | eine subtile | ein subtiles | (keine) subtilen | |
Comparative forms of subtil
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
| predicative | er ist subtiler | sie ist subtiler | es ist subtiler | sie sind subtiler | |
| strong declension (without article) |
nominative | subtilerer | subtilere | subtileres | subtilere |
| genitive | subtileren | subtilerer | subtileren | subtilerer | |
| dative | subtilerem | subtilerer | subtilerem | subtileren | |
| accusative | subtileren | subtilere | subtileres | subtilere | |
| weak declension (with definite article) |
nominative | der subtilere | die subtilere | das subtilere | die subtileren |
| genitive | des subtileren | der subtileren | des subtileren | der subtileren | |
| dative | dem subtileren | der subtileren | dem subtileren | den subtileren | |
| accusative | den subtileren | die subtilere | das subtilere | die subtileren | |
| mixed declension (with indefinite article) |
nominative | ein subtilerer | eine subtilere | ein subtileres | (keine) subtileren |
| genitive | eines subtileren | einer subtileren | eines subtileren | (keiner) subtileren | |
| dative | einem subtileren | einer subtileren | einem subtileren | (keinen) subtileren | |
| accusative | einen subtileren | eine subtilere | ein subtileres | (keine) subtileren | |
Superlative forms of subtil
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
| predicative | er ist am subtilsten | sie ist am subtilsten | es ist am subtilsten | sie sind am subtilsten | |
| strong declension (without article) |
nominative | subtilster | subtilste | subtilstes | subtilste |
| genitive | subtilsten | subtilster | subtilsten | subtilster | |
| dative | subtilstem | subtilster | subtilstem | subtilsten | |
| accusative | subtilsten | subtilste | subtilstes | subtilste | |
| weak declension (with definite article) |
nominative | der subtilste | die subtilste | das subtilste | die subtilsten |
| genitive | des subtilsten | der subtilsten | des subtilsten | der subtilsten | |
| dative | dem subtilsten | der subtilsten | dem subtilsten | den subtilsten | |
| accusative | den subtilsten | die subtilste | das subtilste | die subtilsten | |
| mixed declension (with indefinite article) |
nominative | ein subtilster | eine subtilste | ein subtilstes | (keine) subtilsten |
| genitive | eines subtilsten | einer subtilsten | eines subtilsten | (keiner) subtilsten | |
| dative | einem subtilsten | einer subtilsten | einem subtilsten | (keinen) subtilsten | |
| accusative | einen subtilsten | eine subtilste | ein subtilstes | (keine) subtilsten | |
Portuguese
Adjective
subtil m, f (plural subtis, comparable) (European orthography)
- Alternative form of sutil
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowing from French subtil and Latin subtīlis. Doublet of subțire.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /subˈtil/
Adjective
subtil m, n (feminine singular subtilă, masculine plural subtili, feminine and neuter plural subtile)
Declension
declension of subtil
Related terms
Related terms
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|
|
Swedish
Adjective
subtil (comparative subtilare, superlative subtilast)
Declension
| Inflection of subtil | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite/attributive | Positive | Comparative | Superlative2 |
| Common singular | subtil | subtilare | subtilast |
| Neuter singular | subtilt | subtilare | subtilast |
| Plural | subtila | subtilare | subtilast |
| Definite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Masculine singular1 | subtile | subtilare | subtilaste |
| All | subtila | subtilare | subtilaste |
| 1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in an attributive role. | |||
Related terms
- subtilitet