facet
n.one part or side of a complex situation, idea, or object. It can also mean one of the flat, shiny surfaces on a cut diamond.
n.a particular aspect or feature of a multi-dimensional situation; alternatively, one of the flat surfaces of a cut gemstone. Often used to break down complex subjects into manageable components.
“We need to consider every facet of the problem.”
“The committee examined each facet of the new policy to ensure no group was unfairly disadvantaged.”
“The diamond's brilliance is a result of how light interacts with every precisely angled facet, much like how a well-researched biography reveals every facet of a subject's character.”
Commonly used with the preposition 'of' to describe parts of an abstract concept.
“Many facets of modern life rely on GPS – not just the map apps on your phone or in your car.”
“The American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, in The Anxious Generation , finds this a universal facet of younger generations on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Borrowed from French facette.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.