courtesy

[kur-tuh-see or for 5, kurt-see]

noun, plural cour·te·sies.

excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior.

a courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression.

indulgence, consent, or acquiescence: a “colonel” by courtesy rather than by right.

favor, help, or generosity: The costumes for the play were by courtesy of the local department store.

a curtsy.

adjective

done or performed as a matter of courtesy or protocol: a courtesy call on the mayor.

offered or provided free by courtesy of the management: While waiting to board the airplane, we were provided with courtesy coffee.

Origin of courtesy

1175–1225; Middle English curteisie < Anglo-French, Old French; see courteous, -y³

Related formso·ver·cour·te·sy, nounun·cour·te·sy, noun, plural un·cour·te·sies.

Synonyms for courtesy

1. courteousness, civility, urbanity.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for courtesies

sympathy, civility, generosity, reverence, deference, kindness, compassion, chivalry, amiability, address, culture, respect, indulgence, thoughtfulness, ceremony, gentleness, familiarity, solicitude, elegance, favor

Examples from the Web for courtesies

Contemporary Examples of courtesies

Everyday Muslim courtesies must be followed, even as infidels are cut down.
Reliving Mumbai's 9/11
Tunku Varadarajan
November 19, 2009
This time when he was brought to the station in handcuffs there were no courtesies, no cups of chai.
An Excerpt from Between the Assassinations
Aravind Adiga
June 10, 2009

Historical Examples of courtesies

But we felt that we were returning like detected impostors, and we had no heart for their courtesies.
In the Valley
Harold Frederic
I had no stomach for the courtesies that were meant for such a man as I was not.
The Shame of Motley
Raphael Sabatini
Out I went in a fusillade of courtesies and sought a chauffeur.
Punch or the London Charivari, Vol. 147, December 16, 1914
Various
Your courtesies to me have been the measure of your bad luck for many a day.
Sir Brook Fossbrooke, Volume II.
Charles James Lever
Courtesies at this time were showered upon Lady George from all sides.
Is He Popenjoy?
Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for courtesies

courtesy

noun plural -sies

politeness; good manners

a courteous gesture or remark

favour or consent (esp in the phrase by courtesy of)

common consent as opposed to right (esp in the phrase by courtesy)See also courtesy title

(ˈkɜːtsɪ) an archaic spelling of curtsy

Word Origin for courtesy

C13 curteisie, from Old French, from corteis courteous

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for courtesies

courtesy

early 13c., curteisie, from Old French curteisie (Modern French courtoisie), from curteis "courteous" (see courteous). A specialized sense of curteisie is the source of English curtsy.