politely
Americanadverb
-
in a way that shows good manners toward others; courteously.
The bar is extremely busy, so the ability to work efficiently and politely under pressure is essential.
Although the coaches encouraged him to try out for the team, he politely declined and went back to his books.
-
in a way that shows refinement, consideration, or elegance.
The goal is politely described as "optimistic" by the auditors; privately, most observers view it as total fantasy.
The artist’s journals start politely—small watercolors and writing fill the early pages, but by the end they are overflowing and untameable.
Other Word Forms
- superpolitely adverb
Etymology
Origin of politely
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.
She politely declined, saying that she had a boyfriend.
From BBC
While the dominant culture seems, yet again, obsessed with appetite suppression, I am rediscovering appetite: earned appetite, physical appetite, the kind that shows up after exertion and politely demands to be honored.
From Salon
“I’m not on social media,” she politely announced.
From Los Angeles Times
When I politely told my 80-something mother-in-law that we would need to meet at the church for the service instead of going to her house early, she completely freaked out.
From MarketWatch
But as much as the two star quarterbacks — and former No. 1 picks in the draft — would like to politely leave it be, they forever will be linked in the greater football consciousness.
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.
