civility

noun

ci·​vil·​i·​ty sə-ˈvi-lə-tē 

plural civilities

1

a

: civilized conduct

especially : courtesy, politeness

bemoaned the decline of civility in our politics

b

: a polite act or expression

… lacked the little civilities and hypocrisies of political society …

—Roy Jenkins

The men briefly exchanged civilities before the meeting began.

2

archaic : training in the humanities

Synonyms of civility

• courtesy
• gesture
• politeness
• manners

Examples of civility in a Sentence

They greeted each other with the usual exchange of civilities.

after the usual civilities, the parents and the principal had a serious talk about the boy

Recent Examples on the Web

Judy Ancel of Kansas City, Kansas, said allowing CoreCivic to reopen as an ICE prison would do nothing to promote civility in Leavenworth and surrounding communities. —Matthew Kelly february 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026

His emphasis on civility and order has reassured many voters. —Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026

Washington and Lee’s commitment to freedom of expression undergirds its ethos of civility. —Blake D. Morant, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026

The republic would treat other nations with civility precisely in order to remain independent of their appetites and quarrels. —Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see civil

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for civility

• ability
• agility
• debility
• docility
• ductility
• facility
• fertility
• fragility
• futility
• gentility
• hostility
• humility

Kids Definition

civility

noun

ci·​vil·​i·​ty sə-ˈvil-ət-ē 

plural civilities

1

: civilized conduct

especially : courtesy sense 1, politeness

2

: a polite act or expression