urbanity

[ ur-ban-i-tee ]

/ ɜrˈbæn ɪ ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR urbanity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural ur·ban·i·ties.

the quality of being urbane; refined courtesy or politeness; suavity: He was the last word in urbanity.

urbanities, civilities or amenities.

the quality or state of being urban.

Nearby words

Origin of urbanity

From the Latin word urbānitās, dating back to 1525–35. See urbane, -ity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for urbanity

For Shaftel this kind of licentious behavior amounts to “conspicuous consumption disguised as urbanity.”
Don’t Diss the Beauty of Brunch: Defending Our Favorite Meal|Tim Teeman|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
British-born, he had a level of self-possession that seemed virtually Bond-like in the urbanity vacuum of CBS prime time.
A Kiss Goodbye to Richard Dawson|Rebecca Dana|June 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He was all urbanity and smiles, therefore, when the pirate captain obeyed his summons.
The Pirate City|R.M. Ballantyne
Csar's lines on Terence are written with rather more spirit and taste; they breathe Roman urbanity.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 3 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)

Her urbanity was so marked that I thought it could only be a beautiful dream, and I rubbed my eyes before answering.
The Adventures of Elizabeth in Rgen|Elizabeth von Arnim
Wilberforce owed much of his influence to the singular sweetness of his disposition and the urbanity of his manners.
The Life of Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, Bart., K.C.S.I.|Sir Leslie Stephen
Its kisses conceal a profound indifference, its urbanity a perpetual contempt.
The Thirteen|Honore de Balzac

British Dictionary definitions for urbanity

urbanity

/ (ɜːˈbænɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the quality of being urbane

(usually plural) civilities or courtesies

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

Word Origin and History for urbanity