courtesy

American  

[kur-tuh-see, kurt-see] / ˈkɜr tə si, ˈkɜrt si /

noun

courtesies plural

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.

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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.

idioms

1. courtesy of, from or given by.

   This tip comes courtesy of our inside source.

courtesy British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overcourtesy
  noun
• uncourtesy
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• courtesies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of courtesy

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

Explanation

A courtesy is a polite remark or respectful act. Complain about a bad meal, and you might get kicked out. But the common courtesy is usually an apology from the manager and, if you're lucky, a free dinner. Courtesy is all about using your good manners, which is why it shares roots with the word courteous. Holding the door open for someone, writing a thank-you note for a gift, and letting the pregnant lady have the last seat on the bus are all courtesies that would make your parents proud. And if something is kindly presented to you free of charge, the gift-giver may say it's "courtesy of" someone special.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

courtesy courtesies

A splash of chicken stock is used to make the baby bok choy, courtesy of this stellar recipe from NYT Cooking.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

Dangerous waves on the beaches were expected courtesy of Tropical Storm Elida, which originated off of southern Mexico.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The watchdog added: "There's also an indication one of the officers may have breached the standard relating to authority, respect and courtesy, for appearing to dismiss Henry saying he had been stabbed."

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

That main living space opens up directly to the backyard courtesy of the glass walls that slide open to break the barrier between the indoor and outdoor areas.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

A battle followed, fought in true Gilded Age fashion with oblique snubs and poisonous courtesy.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

You’re sitting in a room full of people who you want access to and you are observing the courtesies that are required to keep you in the room.

From Slate ● Nov. 17, 2025

All courtesies are left on the start line before the boats do battle, colliding repeatedly as they fight for the best line, and often ruining the best-laid plans.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2024

Secretary of State Blinken's visit to Beijing, which ended on Monday with all the diplomatic courtesies and protocols one would expect, but with no major breakthrough for investors to cling to.

From Reuters ● Jun. 19, 2023

Usually the courtesies are kept private, but games usually don’t grab the baseball world’s attention and decisions usually don’t upend that world.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2021

Arya found it an effort to remember her courtesies.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

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