politely
Americanadverb
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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.
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Etymology
Origin of politely
Vocabulary lists containing 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.
The first call was Inter-Con’s CEO angrily but more or less politely asking Foote to tell Moose to tell Colin O’Brien that he needed to release his guards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
I didn’t get to speak with Steinem for my project—her office politely declined due to her schedule, which even in her late 80s was packed to the brim.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2026
We’re all sitting at home sipping adaptogenic mushroom tonics, journaling our feelings and politely declining invitations to any event after 7 p.m. because we’d rather optimize our sleep scores than take a tequila shot.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
She politely let him know she wasn’t interested and moved on with her evening.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
“It’s important to keep all my professional options open,” Traveler said, politely ignoring my untimely demise, “but I’m more interested in astronomy than murder.”
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
