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URL: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/polite

⇱ POLITE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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

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.

They are polite background noise — the culinary equivalent of a cubicle in a Schaumburg office park.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Grok, powered by Musk’s xAI, is positioned as the raw alternative to its more polite competitors.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

Then as now, Martin chose a polite but firm approach to Trump, who spent much of the question-and-answer session berating US allies for rebuffing his calls to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Returning to the Metropolitan Opera this month, the Italian classic uses the lilting three-beat form as a unifying element in its tragic drama of a woman’s struggle with Parisian polite society.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Or maybe they’re more polite because they still suspect me, and they’re just having me followed instead.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

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.