in polite company
idiom
: in formal settings : with people you do not know well
It's not something you should talk about in polite company.
Examples of in polite company in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For instance, the current board promotes pornography too extreme to discuss in polite company.
—
Beth Mlady, cleveland, 8 Sep. 2023
You aren’t supposed to say so in polite company, but Americans are undertaxed.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 31 May 2023
Men don’t talk about it much in polite company, but this is something many men think about to the point of obsession.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 5 Dec. 2022
As for toothpicks, these have no place in polite company.
—Thomas P. Farley, chicagotribune.com, 19 July 2021
Nicolas Cage hosts a wry docuseries exploring the history and uses of some of the most common words you’re not supposed to say in polite company.
—oregonlive, 30 Dec. 2020
The dialogue is often sprinkled with language not generally spoken in polite company.
—Joan Gaylord, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 June 2020
Like politics, religion, and bodily functions, you’re not supposed to discuss it in polite company.
—Outside Online, 20 June 2019
Drum presumably got a negative reaction because intelligence isn't something spoken of in polite company.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2011
Beth Mlady, cleveland, 8 Sep. 2023
You aren’t supposed to say so in polite company, but Americans are undertaxed.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 31 May 2023
Men don’t talk about it much in polite company, but this is something many men think about to the point of obsession.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 5 Dec. 2022
As for toothpicks, these have no place in polite company.
—Thomas P. Farley, chicagotribune.com, 19 July 2021
Nicolas Cage hosts a wry docuseries exploring the history and uses of some of the most common words you’re not supposed to say in polite company.
—oregonlive, 30 Dec. 2020
The dialogue is often sprinkled with language not generally spoken in polite company.
—Joan Gaylord, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 June 2020
Like politics, religion, and bodily functions, you’re not supposed to discuss it in polite company.
—Outside Online, 20 June 2019
Drum presumably got a negative reaction because intelligence isn't something spoken of in polite company.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2011
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in polite company.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near in polite company
Cite this Entry
“In polite company.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20polite%20company. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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