polite
Americanadjective
adjective
-
showing regard for others, in manners, speech, behaviour, etc; courteous
-
cultivated or refined
polite society
-
elegant or polished
polite letters
Synonym Usage
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
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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.
See Examples For:
Since he was expecting a response, I was forced into being uncharacteristically polite.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
During his two-plus years in office, Benn became known among journalists for being incredibly polite and approachable.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The hope is to become a "big fish" who mediates between the grunts and those with cash, maybe even entering polite society.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
Worst case: blank stare, polite nonrecognition and the humiliation of realizing he doesn’t remember me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
I let out a little one to be polite.
From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman
Bravo responded with a politer version in “Top Chef.”
From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2026
An 18-year-old woman said ghosting was “a little bit politer way to reject someone than to directly say, ‘I do not want to chat with you.’
From Washington Post ● Jul. 25, 2022
In fact, the politer our discourse is in general, the more dramatic the effect when breaking the rules of politeness becomes necessary.
From Slate ● Nov. 14, 2018
She admires various classical and modern dancers and choreographers and works, but her own dancers enact a brash and pitiless system of movement that disdains and subverts politer forms.
From The New Yorker ● Jun. 22, 2015
‘Don’t believe what strangers say of themselves either! I am not a fighter. But it would be politer in any case for the challenger to say who he is.’
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
There are some wonderful communicators in this Scotland team but, in the politest sense, they're fed up communicating and are just desperate to start delivering.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
Ebert, also 39, is the politest, a kind force who, 17 years later, remains the new guy after Johnson and Knobbe formed the band a year before.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026
“The politest way is to enlist the aid of the flight attendants,” says Jodi RR Smith, an etiquette consultant.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 26, 2024
I’ll say one thing for “Knock at the Cabin”: M. Night Shyamalan may have made the politest — and the most provocative — home-invasion horror movie you’ll ever see.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 1, 2023
When he had no more to tell me, I thanked him in my politest French, and left.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
