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Definition of politeness - 3 dictionary results
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Politeness Definition
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po⋅lite

  [puh-lahyt]
Use politeness in a Sentence
–adjective, -lit⋅er, -lit⋅est.
1. showing good manners toward others, as in behavior, speech, etc.; courteous; civil: a polite reply.
2. refined or cultured: polite society.
3. of a refined or elegant kind: polite learning.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME < L polītus, ptp. of polīre to polish

Related forms:
po⋅lite⋅ly, adverb
po⋅lite⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. well-bred, gracious. See civil. 2. urbane, polished, poised, courtly, cultivated.

Antonyms:
1, 2. rude.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To politeness
po·lite   (pə-līt')   
adj.   po·lit·er, po·lit·est
  1. Marked by or showing consideration for others, tact, and observance of accepted social usage.
  2. Refined; elegant: polite society.

[Middle English polit, polished, from Latin polītus, past participle of polīre, to polish; see polish.]
po·lite'ly adv., po·lite'ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean mindful of, conforming to, or marked by good manners. Polite and mannerly imply consideration for others and the adherence to conventional social standards of good behavior: "It costs nothing to be polite" (Winston S. Churchill). The child was scolded by his grandmother for not being more mannerly.
Civil suggests only the barest observance of accepted social usages; it often means merely neither polite nor rude: If you can't be friendly, at least be civil.
Courteous implies courtliness and dignity: "If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world" (Francis Bacon).
Genteel, which originally meant well-bred, now usually suggests excessive and affected refinement: "A man, indeed, is not genteel when he gets drunk" (James Boswell).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Politeness

Po*lite"ness\, n. 1. High finish; smoothness; burnished elegance. [R.] --Evelyn.

2. The quality or state of being polite; refinement of manners; urbanity; courteous behavior; complaisance; obliging attentions.

Syn: Courtesy; good breeding; refinement; urbanity; courteousness; affability; complaisance; civility; gentility; courtliness.

Usage: Politeness, Courtesy. Politeness denotes that ease and gracefulness of manners which first sprung up in cities, connected with a desire to please others by anticipating their wants and wishes, and studiously avoiding whatever might give them pain. Courtesy is, etymologically, the politeness of courts. It displays itself in the address and manners; it is shown more especially in receiving and entertaining others, and is a union of dignified complaisance and kindness.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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