courteous

cour·te·ous

adjective \ˈkər-tē-əs, British also ˈkȯr-\

Definition of COURTEOUS

1

: marked by polished manners, gallantry, or ceremonial usage of a court

2

: marked by respect for and consideration of others

— cour·te·ous·ly adverb

— cour·te·ous·ness noun

Examples of COURTEOUS

1. The clerks were helpful and courteous.
2. <their customer service department always gives courteous responses, even to rude people>
3. There was no doubt that his stubbornly held and trenchantly expressed views—his trenchancy always tempered, however, by his gently courteous manner—contributed significantly to his unpopularity … —Simon Winchester, The Man Who Loved China, 2008
4. … she has seen generations of boys come and go, some well groomed and courteous, others rough and uppity … —Julian Barnes, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 1990
5. He joined us in the Yellow Room with … his son, a thoughtful, courteous, nice doctor … —Lady Bird Johnson, 27 May 1964, in A White House Diary, 1970

Origin of COURTEOUS

Middle English corteis, from Anglo-French curteis, from curt

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to COURTEOUS

Synonyms

civil, polite, genteel, gracious, mannerly, well-bred

Antonyms

discourteous, ill-bred, ill-mannered, impolite, inconsiderate, mannerless, rude, thoughtless, uncivil, ungenteel, ungracious, unmannered, unmannerly

Related Words

attentive, careful, considerate, nice, solicitous, thoughtful; chivalrous, civilized, courtly, gallant, gentlemanlike, gentlemanly, ladylike; ceremonial, ceremonious, red-carpet; couth, formal, smooth, suave, unctuous, urbane; elegant, refined; deferential, dutiful, respectful, submissive, yielding; acceptable, appropriate, becoming, befitting, comme il faut, correct, decent, decorous, fit, fitting, good, meet, proper, respectable, right, seemly, suitable; affable, cordial, friendly, genial, hospitable, pleasant, sociable; felicitous, graceful; demure, humble, meek, modest, unassertive

Near Antonyms

heedless, inconsiderate, thoughtless; audacious, bold, bold-faced, brash, brassy, disrespectful, impertinent, impudent, insolent, lippy, saucy, shameless; boorish, churlish, clodhopping, clownish, loutish, uncouth, vulgar; casual, informal, unceremonious; improper, inappropriate, incorrect, indecent, indecorous, uncalled-for, unrespectable, unseemly; arrogant, conceited, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious

See Synonym Discussion at civil