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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Preciosity

Preciosity \Pre`ci*os"i*ty\, n. Preciousness; something precious. [Obs.]
--Sir T. Browne.

Preciosity

Preciosity \Pre`ci*os"i*ty\, n.; pl. -ties. [F. pr['e]ciosit['e], OF. also precieuset['e].] Fastidious refinement, esp. in language; specif., the affected purism and sententiousness characteristic of the French pr['e]cieuses of the 17th century.

He had the fastidiousness, the preciosity, the love of archaisms, of your true decadent.
--L. Douglas.

Wiktionary
preciosity

n. 1 A state or condition of overemphasize detail, especially of pronunciation when speaking. 2 (context obsolete English) Something precious.

WordNet
preciosity

n. the quality of being fastidious or excessively refined

Usage examples of "preciosity".

Ross cultivated a certain preciosity of speech as though he were anxious to negate the stevedore image.

Although slightly tinged with pedantism and preciosity, its freshness, its grace, its inspiration and sincerity, give it a flavour almost of primitive art.

The preciosity of style and vocabulary in these works is much more reminiscent of the earlier part of the century, or of the Symbolist era, than of the materialistic 1860s.

Moreover, a wide outlook will help us to avoid exaggerations, preciosities, and fanaticisms.