polite

American

[puh-lahyt] / pəˈlaɪt /

adjective

politer, politest

showing good manners toward others, as in behavior, speech, etc.; courteous; civil.

a polite reply.

Synonyms:

gracious, well-bred

Antonyms:

rude
refined or cultured.

polite society.

Synonyms:

cultivated, courtly, poised, polished, urbane
of a refined or elegant kind.

polite learning.

polite British

/ pəˈlaɪt /

adjective

showing regard for others, in manners, speech, behaviour, etc; courteous
cultivated or refined

polite society
elegant or polished

polite letters

"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

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.

“I am husky. I am big for my age. These are the things polite people say.”

From Literature

“We’re taught to be polite and nice and make everybody around us feel comfortable and take the high road,” McCurdy said, her voice catching.

From Los Angeles Times

He later added that the multilateral system had been "eroded, to use a polite term, or undercut".

From BBC

The students were polite to start the game, giving him some applause during introductions.

From Los Angeles Times

Always polite and friendly but not generating headlines for the sake of it.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023