courtlier; courtliest
2
: favoring the policy or party of the court
courtliness
noun
Examples of courtly in a Sentence
Adjective
his courtly manners made him a favorite escort of widowed socialites
Recent Examples on the Web
Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2025
Karl August’s strategy for resisting the forward movement of history was to dust off the courtly practices of the ancien régime.
—Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Claudia Roth Pierpont, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Partying, and courtly intrigue, is a thousand-year-old Venetian mark in trade.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for courtly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
This single feast, emblematic of Fes’s cuisine, carries the taste of the courtly table of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, the flavors served at the Alhambra in Islamic Andalucia, a blend of West African spices, and Amazigh know-how.
—Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2025
Karl August’s strategy for resisting the forward movement of history was to dust off the courtly practices of the ancien régime.
—Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Adverb
His early writing reflected the popular style of the French troubadours, courtly poet-musicians who sang of their longing for a beautiful lady.
—Claudia Roth Pierpont, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Partying, and courtly intrigue, is a thousand-year-old Venetian mark in trade.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for courtly
Cite this Entry
“Courtly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courtly. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share