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

For all these years, she has kept the courtesy royal divorcee title Sarah, Duchess of York.

Read more on BBC

This epiphany isn’t courtesy of any previously unrevealed information.

Read more on Salon

Captured by the British, the documents are now back in the U.S. for the first time, courtesy of the National Archives of the United Kingdom.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But I’ve also tried ones stuffed with spinach, onions and mushrooms or zucchini, red peppers, olives and goat cheese — two recipes courtesy of Reddit.

Read more on Salon

Still, some second-quarter corporate earnings calls with investment analysts this summer bristled with braggadocio about the tax cuts they were expecting to pocket, courtesy of the budget bill.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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