incivility
Americannoun
-
the quality or condition of being uncivil; discourteous behavior or treatment.
- Synonyms:
- uncouthness, boorishness, rudeness
-
an uncivil act.
- Synonyms:
- discourtesy
noun
-
lack of civility or courtesy; rudeness
-
an impolite or uncivil act or remark
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of incivility
From the Late Latin word incīvīlitās, dating back to 1575–85. See in- 3, civility
Explanation
Incivility is rudeness or disrespect. A child will probably be scolded for his incivility if he sits with his elbows planted on the dinner table, talking loudly with his mouth full of food. If you insult your friends, push in front of people standing in line for a movie, or in other ways demonstrate bad manners, your incivility is obvious. Etiquette is all about eliminating incivility, teaching people the best way to behave. This noun dates from the 16th century, first meaning "want of civilized behavior," from a Latin root: incivilis, "not civil," with the root civilis, "befitting a citizen."
Vocabulary lists containing incivility
The Misfits
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The Unfinished Angel
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The Comedy of Errors
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the letter terminating Pelley's contract on Tuesday, Bilton accused him of hijacking the staff meeting to disparage Bilton, his qualificatons and intentions with "remarkable incivility and contempt".
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
Newly appointed "60 Minutes" executive producer Nick Bilton said Pelley "hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt."
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
This weekend’s incivility could be a sign that golf is losing its traditional decorum.
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 29, 2025
"The incivility didn’t start with RTO — it was just harder to see when people were apart"
From Salon • Apr. 30, 2025
That’s entitlement: his mother permits that casual incivility because she wants him to learn to assert himself with people in positions of authority.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
