courtesy

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

/ ˈkɜr tə si or, for 5, ˈkɜrt si /

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See synonyms for: courtesy / courtesies on Thesaurus.com

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR courtesy

1 courteousness, civility, urbanity.

See synonyms for courtesy on Thesaurus.com

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There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

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True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

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Origin of courtesy

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

OTHER WORDS FROM courtesy

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use courtesy in a sentence

Newton escaped the world through nuttiness, Darwin through elaborate evasive courtesies and by farming out the politics to Huxley.
Galileo's Test of Truth|David Frum|February 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There are smiles, idle chit chat, and small courtesies evident as they enter and depart the courtroom.
Jerry Sandusky Trial, Day Four: ‘Was Mrs. Sandusky Home?’|Diane Dimond|June 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Everyday Muslim courtesies must be followed, even as infidels are cut down.
Reliving Mumbai's 9/11|Tunku Varadarajan|November 19, 2009|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

Their new self-help book stresses the importance of small courtesies and gestures.
The Daily Beast Recommends|The Daily Beast|April 21, 2009|DAILY BEAST
He was a gallant, the Colonel, full of little 33 courtesies which endeared him to the hearts of women.
Those Dale Girls|Frank Weston Carruth
I cannot defend myself, but I would ask you to recognize ordinary courtesies.
Marriage la mode|Mrs. Humphry Ward
Never, never, never, extend to him the courtesies due to an equal.
The Diamond Coterie|Lawrence L. Lynch
Dolorously the Currans paid her the last courtesies, waiting for the word which would end the famous search for her Horace.
The Art of Disappearing|John Talbot Smith
Alexander willingly accepted the proffered honour, invited the ambassadors to his table, and showed them other courtesies.
L. Annaeus Seneca On Benefits|Seneca

British Dictionary definitions for courtesy

courtesy

/ (ˈkɜːtɪsɪ) /

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

courtesy

OTHER WORDS FOR courtesy

Origin of courtesy

OTHER WORDS FROM courtesy

Words related to courtesy

How to use courtesy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for courtesy

Word Origin for courtesy