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

The civility of the evening was evident to former Sacramento City Councilmember Jay Schenirer, who has been a member of Congregation B’nai Israel for more than 40 years. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Yet walking and chatting with the blind man seemed to me the best possible introduction to Toronto, its temper, its welcome, its civility. — Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026

Serving on this board is a privilege, and with that privilege comes the responsibility to lead with respect, civility and compassion. — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

The flames of perdition, fueled by guilt, estrangement, and repression, lap at society’s sham institutions and flimsy fronts of civility. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 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