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View synonyms for courtesy

courtesy

[ kur-tuh-see kurt-see ]

noun

, plural cour·te·sies.
  1. excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior:

    Her unfailing courtesy made her easy to work with.

    Synonyms: courteousness, urbanity, civility

  2. a courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression.
  3. indulgence, consent, or acquiescence:

    He is a “colonel” by courtesy rather than by right.

  4. favor, help, or generosity:

    The costumes for the play were by courtesy of the local department store.

  5. a curtsy.


adjective

  1. done or performed as a matter of politeness or protocol:

    The council member paid a courtesy call on the mayor.

  2. offered or provided free by the management:

    While waiting to board the airplane, we were provided with courtesy coffee.

courtesy

/ ˈkɜːtɪsɪ /

noun

  1. politeness; good manners
  2. a courteous gesture or remark
  3. favour or consent (esp in the phrase by courtesy of )
  4. common consent as opposed to right (esp in the phrase by courtesy ) See also courtesy title
  5. See curtsy
    ˈkɜːtsɪ an archaic spelling of curtsy


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Other Words From

  • o·ver·cour·te·sy noun
  • un·cour·te·sy noun plural uncourtesies

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Word History and Origins

Origin of courtesy1

First recorded in 1175–1225; from Middle English curteisie, from Anglo-French, from Old French; equivalent to courteous ( def ) + -y 3( def )

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Word History and Origins

Origin of courtesy1

C13 curteisie, from Old French, from corteis courteous

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. courtesy of, from or given by:

    This tip comes courtesy of our inside source.

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Example Sentences

Finally, if you enjoyed this riddle, you might try your hand at a few similar combinatorial challenges, courtesy of solver Eric Farmer.

Plus, it’s common courtesy, and in many states, going barefaced can result in a fine.

The mask is capable of running eight hours on “low” and two hours on “high,” courtesy of an on-board 820mAh battery, according to figures from LG.

In addition, anyone arriving from outside Europe’s open-border Shengen area must take a virus test before arriving and will be tested again courtesy of the Biennale once in Venice, the guidelines said.

From Fortune

As today’s chart shows, courtesy of LPL Research, the rollercoaster ride we’ve been on is truly rare.

From Fortune

Hand to God Sexual repression has been around for centuries, courtesy of all our favorite religions.

In honor of her big year, here are some little-known facts about the songstress, courtesy of BuzzFeed.

This video, courtesy of BuzzFeed, helps to illustrate this phenomenon.

A recent propaganda video courtesy of Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha is the latest example.

Here are some quotes to help send you on your way, courtesy of BuzzFeed.

It was like his beautiful courtesy to call me in and introduce me to Blow instead of letting me go away.

This is certainly handsome, and I acknowledge the courtesy, though I shall not accept the invitation.

At the time of Blcher's surrender at Lbeck he had treated with great courtesy certain Swedish prisoners.

Not that a gentleman is aught but a gentleman anywhere, but courtesy is certainly not the Englishman's best point.

With great courtesy and hospitality Ki Pak invited the stranger within the house.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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