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
Etymology
Origin of polite
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin polītus, past participle of polīre “to polish”; see polish
Explanation
Polite means showing regards for others in manners, speech, and behavior. Since you are a polite dinner guest, you thank the host for inviting you and, even though you think the chicken is not cooked to perfection, you tell her you are enjoying the meal. The adjective polite comes from the mid-13th century Latin politus, which means "refined" or "elegant." Showing consideration for others, using tact, and observing social norms are the qualities of being polite. The opposite of polite is rude. Because the poet E.E. Cummings thought imagination is most important, he wrote, “Knowledge is a polite word for dead but not buried imagination.”
Vocabulary lists containing polite
Real Nice!
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Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
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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.
Bin Tang, a professor in the university’s computer science department, described Allen as a “very good student. ... Soft-spoken, very polite, a good fellow.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026
Resolving some issues took a lot of polite, and desperate, pleading with a machine.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
"If I am polite, I would say the world was not prepared for it. Is it prepared now? I hope so," Bachelet, 74, told reporters after a three-hour hearing before member states.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
She described how he had changed from being a "polite, funny little boy" who had liked lots of cuddles to one who gets overwhelmed by crowds.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Not until Mom raises an eyebrow and says, “You’d better be more polite at dinner with the Reyeses tonight than you’re being with me. Or else there’ll be consequences.”
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
