civility
Americannoun
plural
civilities-
courtesy; politeness.
- Synonyms:
- tact, amiability, affability
-
a polite action or expression.
an exchange of civilities.
-
Archaic. civilization; culture; good breeding.
noun
-
politeness or courtesy, esp when formal
-
(often plural) an act of politeness
Other Word Forms
- overcivility noun
Etymology
Origin of civility
1350–1400; Middle English civilite < Middle French < Latin cīvīlitāt- (stem of cīvīlitās ) courtesy. See civil, -ity
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.
An activist’s toddler is at the center of a debate about parenting and civility at Police Commission meetings.
From Los Angeles Times
One reason may be that many of the incarcerated are in bad shape and would embarrass the barbaric Ms. Rodríguez, who tries to cultivate a persona of civility by dressing like Imelda Marcos.
The federal government wants fliers to dress better, claiming it will bring more civility to air travel.
The Transportation Department kicked off the 2025 holiday travel season with an admittedly unenforceable civility campaign aimed at bringing back “courtesy and class to air travel.”
Compounding the difficulty in addressing such complex matters is what Bonham described as waning civility in public discourse.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
