courtesy

noun

cour·te·sy | \ ˈkər-tə-sē

, British also ˈkȯ-\

plural courtesies

Definition of courtesy

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : behavior marked by polished manners or respect for others : courteous behavior

b : a courteous and respectful act or expression

2a : general allowance despite facts : indulgence hills called mountains by courtesy only

b : consideration, cooperation, and generosity in providing something (such as a gift or privilege) also : agency, means —used chiefly in the phrases through the courtesy of or by courtesy of or sometimes simply courtesy of

courtesy

adjective

cour·te·sy | \ ˈkər-tə-sē

, British also ˈkȯ-\

Definition of courtesy (Entry 2 of 2)

: granted, provided, or performed as a courtesy or by way of courtesy (see courtesy entry 1) made a courtesy call on the ambassador

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about courtesy

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Examples of courtesy in a Sentence

Noun

Civilized life cannot be sustained without hypocrisy. A certain moral code, a degree of courtesy and decorum, are necessary to keep our instincts under a modicum of control. — Ian Buruma, New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2006 Cara, who, courtesy of the cat, had a run in her leggings, picked up the phone in a panic … — Helen Schulman, Wigwag, November 1990 "Coffee, sir?" asked a sailor. I nodded, still chilled. The courtesy, the ordinariness of these men was in the context somehow curious. — Fred Reed, Harper's, September 1988 I tried to persuade him that all that Hamish Hamilton had attempted to do was to extend the kind of courtesies which cultural institutions thought to be his due. — Isaiah Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 12 Apr. 1987 They treated us with courtesy and kindness. She did it as a courtesy, not because she had to. Everyone knows each other here, so we won't bother with the usual courtesies. They shook hands and exchanged courtesies before beginning their discussion.

Adjective

As the heir to an earldom, Stephen was obliged to pay a courtesy call on the British ambassador … — Ken Follett, The Man from St. Petersburg, 1982 Important visitors to the conference were provided with courtesy cars.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Those hits, though, should sound familiar to Trent Reznor fans. Turns out, the songs in Cyrus’s Black Mirror episode come courtesy of Nine Inch Nails. — Shannon Carlin, refinery29.com, "You've Actually Heard Black Mirror's "New" Miley Cyrus Songs (& Lyrics) Before," 8 June 2019 The biggest shock of the night came courtesy of Ukraine, who stormed to a 5-0 victory over Serbia. — SI.com, "International Roundup: Spain Thump Faroe Islands as Republic of Ireland Grab Late Equaliser," 7 June 2019 The latest development comes courtesy of the SportsBusiness Journal’s Michael Smith, who is well-sourced in the sports media world and has done terrific work on the topic for months. — Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, "Hotline newsletter: Pac-12 receives $750 million bids from potential partners (reportedly) but details are the key," 7 June 2019 Next came a four-game sweep courtesy of No. 2 Oregon State, a Final Four participant last spring. — Shawn Mcfarland, courant.com, "After Rough Start, Hartford Baseball Wins America East Regular Season Title," 23 May 2018 Now, a quick transformation tutorial courtesy of Manny MUA: Follow Allure on Instagram and Twitter, or subscribe to our newsletter for daily beauty stories delivered right to your inbox. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "I Need These Cactus-Shaped Makeup Brushes From Tarte's Sister Brand Sugar Rush Immediately," 19 Apr. 2019 This time courtesy of Sally Field, Julia Roberts, and another terminal illness. — Seventeen, "20 Mother's Day Movies to Watch With Your Mom," 11 Apr. 2019 Belgium ran out eventual 5-2 winners to secure a route to the knockout stages courtesy of braces from both Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard. — SI.com, "Roberto Martinez Revels at the Sight of his 'Players Coming Together' After Comfortable 5-2 Win," 23 June 2018 Blood, reborn And speaking of the red stuff, Monolith’s 1997 shooter Blood received a $10 remaster this week courtesy of resurrection pros Nightdive Studios. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: John Wick tactics, a Blood remaster, and a survival-focused Ghost Recon," 10 May 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

D’Hanis took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Rodriguez scored on Jacob Hutto’s grounder to third base and Thomas Beard singled in Luke Langfield, who was Magers’ courtesy runner. — David Hinojosa, ExpressNews.com, "Alex Magers lifts D’Hanis into Class 1A championship game," 5 June 2019 Photos courtesy Ori Earlier this year, the MIT offshoot Ori launched an all-in-one robotic furniture system that made tiny apartments feel a little less tiny. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Ori’s new robotic furniture includes a bed that drops from the ceiling," 14 Nov. 2018 Photos courtesy of Caravan Outfitter The allure of #VanLife is strong, from the nomadic lifestyle to the ability to camp wherever, whenever. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Modular camper van sleeps two and hauls gear, asks $37K," 22 Oct. 2018 The residents of Camp Shinnecock could hop in their courtesy cars and reach the players’ parking lot in 30 seconds. — Karen Crouse, New York Times, "By Land or by Sea, U.S. Open Golfers Got Creative About Their Lodging," 16 June 2018 Ehling missed the tag and Gulley got back safely, while courtesy runner Casey Greene stayed at third, and the bases were loaded. — James Weber, Cincinnati.com, "Highlands baseball, Drew Rom hold off McCracken in state baseball semifinals," 16 June 2018 The Dragons extended their lead to 4-0 in the second with an RBI double from Cade Bell that scored courtesy runner Jaxon Osterberg. — Brian Gosset, star-telegram, "Warden, Southlake Carroll dominate to win 6A state title," 9 June 2018 Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% 0:00 / 0:42 Watch killer footage of killer whales off coast of Monterey Advertisement Killer whales swim off the Monterey coast in May 2018 in this video courtesy Monterey Bay Whale Watch . — Don Sweeney, sacbee, "Watch 1,500 dolphins frolic with baby humpback whale off California in aerial video," 3 June 2018 Watson then hit his triple that allowed Sunseri and Stephen Perry, a courtesy runner, to score. — Justin Maskulinski, Houston Chronicle, "The Woodlands takes down Round Rock, advances to state tourney," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'courtesy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.