courtesy

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noun cour·te·sy \ ˈkər-tə-sē , British also ˈkȯr- \

Definition of courtesy

plural courtesies

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

b :a courteous and respectful act or expression

2 a :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

See courtesy defined for English-language learners

See courtesy defined for kids

Examples of courtesy in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of courtesy from the Web

Courtesy: U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Houston Transtar) (Source: Bloomberg)

— Bloomberg.com, "Houston Flood Rescues in Wake of Hurricane Harvey," 30 Aug. 2017
But Martin’s legacy has largely come courtesy of the rappers who breathlessly and frequently reference the sitcom.

— yohana desta, HWD, "Martin Lawrence on the 25th Anniversary of Martin: “It’s Impacted the Culture”," 27 Aug. 2017
After World War II, the benefactor showering millions on Greece was the United States, courtesy of the Marshall Plan.

— jason horowitz and liz alderman, New York Times, "Chastised by E.U., a Resentful Greece Embraces China’s Cash and Interests," 26 Aug. 2017
Courtesy of Powe Family Eddie Powe An officer asked who shot him.

— john diedrich, jsonline.com, "'No face, no case': How one man tried to permanently silence the witnesses to his crimes," 18 Aug. 2017
Concepts such as two-weeks’ notice are courtesies, not requirements.

— diane stafford, kansascity, "You could be fired for any reason…or no reason," 17 Aug. 2017
But the White House may be trying to head off any potential conflicts there; according to BuzzFeed, the Trump administration sent the list of names as a courtesy and to open a dialogue with the senators.

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "Has Trump Decided Who’s Going to Take Preet Bharara’s Old Job?," 8 Aug. 2017
Long before women reporters began tweeting about their recent sleeveless evictions, some tie-less men posted about being forced to wear ties in the House, which were handed to them courtesy of the government.

— stephanie eckardt, Teen Vogue, "Women in Sleeveless Shirts Are Barred From Parts of the US Capitol," 7 July 2017
The intimacy is palpable, courtesy of tiered balconies which ensure that no seat is more than 45 feet from the pulpit.

— steve johnson, chicagotribune.com, "40 local museum treasures you need to see now," 6 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of courtesy

Middle English corteisie, from Anglo-French curteisie, from curteis — see courteous

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First Known Use: 13th century

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courtesy Synonyms

Synonyms

benevolence, boon, favor, grace, indulgence, kindness, mercy, service, turn

courtesy

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adjective cour·te·sy \ ˈkər-tə-sē , British also ˈkȯr- \

Definition of courtesy

:granted, provided, or performed as a courtesy or by way of courtesy (see ¹courtesy)

made a courtesy call on the ambassador

See courtesy defined for English-language learners

Examples of courtesy in a Sentence

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 of courtesy from the Web

Photograph courtesy Reno Tahoe Morning Wake up in an impressively chic room at the new Reno Renaissance Downtown Hotel.

— heather platt, Los Angeles Magazine, "Reno: It’s Not Just The Place You Ignore While Skiing in Tahoe Anymore," 28 Aug. 2017
At the end of the day, curl up with The Seaside House: Living on the Water and watch the sun set from the porch of a rustic, whimsical home in Provincetown, Mass.—with a slice of fresh-baked apple pie, courtesy BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts.

— lucy feldman, Time, "These 16 Coffee Table Books Are All You Need for a Staycation," 30 June 2017
The chapter will provide a courtesy rest stop with water and snacks, accompanied by a mechanic station manned by Danielson Adventure Sports.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Windham Edition," 30 May 2017
Food was provided by restaurants and a specialty cocktail -- minted vodka lemonade -- was courtesy Holy Name parents Sal and Joan LaMartina of Big Easy Blends.

— NOLA.com, "Holy Name of Jesus School supporters revel at spring gala," 29 May 2017
Courtesy runner Sierra Hein slid headfirst to break up the scoreless pitchers’ duel.

— steve christilaw, The Seattle Times, "Woodinville caps perfect season by beating Puyallup for Class 4A state softball title," 27 May 2017
Assault, Pearl Road: A woman assaulted another in Dollar Tree May 19 over comments about line courtesy.

— joanne berger dumound/special to cleveland.com., cleveland.com, "Couple followed, arrested for not paying restaurant bill: MIddleburg Heights police blotter," 26 May 2017
Courtesy UAB athletics communications The UAB baseball team had two players recognized by Conference USA on Tuesday afternoon.

— AL.com, "UAB's Brewer Hicklen, Thomas Lowery earn all-conference honors," 23 May 2017
The chapter will provide a courtesy rest stop with water and snacks, accompanied by a mechanic station manned by Danielson Adventure Sports.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Windham Edition," 16 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of courtesy

see ¹courtesy

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1613

See Words from the same year

COURTESY Defined for English Language Learners

courtesy

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noun

Definition of courtesy for English Language Learners

: polite behavior that shows respect for other people
: something that you do because it is polite, kind, etc.
: something that you say to be polite especially when you meet someone

courtesy

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adjective

Definition of courtesy for English Language Learners

: done in order to be polite
: provided for free

COURTESY Defined for Kids

courtesy

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noun cour·te·sy \ ˈkər-tə-sē \

Definition of courtesy for Students

plural courtesies

1 :the quality or state of being respectful and considerate of others

2 :a polite or generous act or expression

Hot meals were served through the courtesy of volunteers.

3 :something that is a favor and not a right

Transportation is provided as a courtesy of the hotel.

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courtesy

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COURTESY Defined for English Language Learners

courtesy

Definition of courtesy for English Language Learners

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