polite
Americanadjective
adjective
-
showing regard for others, in manners, speech, behaviour, etc; courteous
-
cultivated or refined
polite society
-
elegant or polished
polite letters
Related Words
See civil.
Other Word Forms
- politely adverb
- politeness noun
- superpolite adjective
- superpoliteness noun
Etymology
Origin of polite
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin polītus, past participle of polīre “to polish”; polish
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This principle of Mexican diplomacy, the Estrada Doctrine, is at best a polite fiction.
In a statement Monday, Rodriguez said “people are pointing to messages where I was polite, grateful, or vulnerable — and trying to use that to discredit me.”
From Los Angeles Times
Winkleman said she noticed how differently the regular contestants behaved, after the celebrities had been so polite.
From BBC
Their mother’s polite, excessively formal demeanor cannot mask her befuddlement regarding how to relate to her children.
From Los Angeles Times
“People are polite. They follow the rules of the road and it’s amazing to us.”
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
