civility

American  

[si-vil-i-tee] / sɪˈvɪl ɪ ti /

noun

civilities plural

1. courtesy; politeness.

   Synonyms:

   tact, amiability, affability

2. a polite action or expression.

   an exchange of civilities.

3. Archaic. civilization; culture; good breeding.

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civility British  

/ sɪˈvɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. politeness or courtesy, esp when formal

2. (often plural) an act of politeness

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overcivility
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• civilities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of civility

1350–1400; Middle English civilite < Middle French < Latin cīvīlitāt- (stem of cīvīlitās ) courtesy. See civil, -ity

Explanation

Civility is the act of showing regard for others by being polite, like the civility you showed in speaking kindly to someone who has hurt your feelings. Civility comes from the Latin word civilis, meaning "relating to public life, befitting a citizen," in other words, being friendly and nice to everyone. When you show civility, you use kindness and good manners. You are respectful, even if you do not like that person very much. Civility can also mean formal politeness, like your behavior at a fancy dinner.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

civility civilities

Collectively, they are attacks on basic principles and norms of democracy, civility, decency, equality, fairness, and dignity that American civic life nominally rests on.

From Salon ● May 26, 2026

“We’ve seen an uptick in, maybe, a degradation of civility in the airspace,” Duffy said at Newark Liberty International Airport in late November.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026

But I would love to hear from both of you about what, if anything, that word civility means.

From Slate ● May 12, 2026

Vorderman's radio show was not on the "flagship" list and the issue with her posts was to do with civility, rather than impartiality.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026

If Ambrose was willing to go to these lengths, I could only imagine what drastic measures he would take if he didn’t need to maintain a semblance of civility.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

“No one looks at you, no one assesses you. It lifts the tiny anvil of self-consciousness. You can go anywhere, unimpeded by the microaggressions of strangers, the obligatory, waterlogged civilities of friends and acquaintances.”

From Washington Post ● Sep. 14, 2022

Furthermore, the panel ignored half a century of declining institutional civilities.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2020

“Even the most basic human civilities — a simple hello or thank you — routinely went missing from his vocabulary. A nod was too much to expect.”

From New York Times ● Mar. 19, 2018

Perhaps, too, there's an allusion to the cursed difficulty of writing a poem which, without a false note, celebrates the post-industrial English civilities of riverside parkland, sports pitches, strolling couples and kite-flyers.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 18, 2013

They were soon gone again, rising from their seats with an activity which took their brother by surprise, and hurrying off as if eager to escape from Mrs. Bennet’s civilities.

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

Related Words

• comity
• courtesy
• decorum
• politeness
• propriety
• respect