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courtesy call

American

[kur-tuh-see kawl] / ˈkɜr tə si ˌkɔl /

noun

a visit or telephone call made for the sake of politeness or diplomacy.

The newly appointed ambassador of Argentina paid a courtesy call on the leader of the opposition today.
The delivery team was very professional and made a courtesy call in advance of their arrival.

Etymology

Origin of courtesy call

First recorded in 1895–1900

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.

"It was a courtesy call, as we run one of the largest madrassas in the country," Haque said.

From Barron's • Dec. 29, 2025

Late last month, California fire officials made a courtesy call to Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2025

The challenge now falls to Japan, where Trump on Monday will sit for a courtesy call with Emperor Naruhito.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025

Labour's Henry McLeish is the only previous holder of the office to have been granted a courtesy call to the Oval Office.

From BBC • Sep. 16, 2025

Daniel and Moses thought they were paying a courtesy call on a cottage industry, but the cottage was a castle.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

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