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Synonyms

polite

American  
[puh-lahyt] / pəˈlaɪt /

adjective

politer, politest

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

    a polite reply.
    Synonyms:
    gracious, well-bred
    Antonyms:
    rude

  2. refined or cultured.

    polite society.
    Synonyms:
    cultivated, courtly, poised, polished, urbane

  3. of a refined or elegant kind.

    polite learning.
polite British  
/ pəˈlaɪt /

adjective

  1. showing regard for others, in manners, speech, behaviour, etc; courteous

  2. cultivated or refined

    polite society

  3. 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

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.