courtesy

[kur-tuh-see, kurt-see]

noun

plural

courtesies 

1. excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior.

   Her unfailing courtesy made her easy to work with.

   Synonyms: urbanity, civility, courteousness

2. a courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression.

3. indulgence, consent, or acquiescence.

   He is a “colonel” by courtesy rather than by right.

4. favor, help, or generosity.

   The costumes for the play were by courtesy of the local department store.

5. a curtsy.

adjective

1. done or performed as a matter of politeness or protocol.

   The council member paid a courtesy call on the mayor.

2. offered or provided free by the management.

   While waiting to board the airplane, we were provided with courtesy coffee.

courtesy

/ ˈkɜːtɪsɪ /

noun

1. politeness; good manners

2. a courteous gesture or remark

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

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

5. an archaic spelling of curtsy

Other Word Forms

• overcourtesy noun
• uncourtesy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of courtesy¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; from Middle English curteisie, from Anglo-French, from Old French; equivalent to courteous ( def. ) + -y ³ ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of courtesy¹

C13 curteisie, from Old French, from corteis _courteous

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. courtesy of, from or given by.

   This tip comes courtesy of our inside source.

Example Sentences

“Russian Machine never breaks,” Ovechkin once said, after limping off the ice courtesy of a slap shot to the foot.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

The 76-year-old golf legend spent an entire career showing that professional courtesy is compatible with competitive greatness.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

The Ineos owner acknowledges the Glazers, who took control of United courtesy of a leveraged buyout in 2005, get "a bad rap".

Read more on BBC

The Russian oligarch billionaire lifestyle can be yours for the potentially low, low price of tens of millions of dollars, courtesy of the U.S. government.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It also has a slight bite to it, courtesy of maple leaf-shaped cookies, which are also made with real maple syrup.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• civility 
• deference 
• generosity 
• kindness 
• reverence 
• sympathy