pleasantry

noun

pleas·​ant·​ry ˈple-zᵊn-trē How to pronounce pleasantry (audio)
plural pleasantries
1
: a humorous act or remark : jest
2
: an agreeable playfulness in conversation : banter
3
: a polite social remark
exchanged pleasantries

Examples of pleasantry in a Sentence

“how are you” is merely a social pleasantry his after-dinner speeches usually include the sort of gentle pleasantry that raises a chuckle
Recent Examples on the Web Anne Hathaway and Anna Wintour Have Devil Wears Prada Moment During Gutenberg Performance on Broadway The Devil Wears Prada star and the movie's inspiration, 74, exchanged pleasantries for a few more seconds before the show began. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024 Images from the British news agency PA Media show Charles, dressed in a suit and tie, greeting Sunak with a broad smile and the pair exchanging pleasantries. Sophie Tanno, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 One after the other Wednesday morning, ahead of pitchers and catchers’ first official workout, the greenest arms in camp paraded past Alex Cobb’s corner locker, offering pleasantries in spades. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2024 But Gen Z—who are working multiple jobs just to stay afloat in the cost of living crisis—can’t afford to go along with pricey plans for the sake of pleasantries. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2024 Most Q&As bore us—stiff, formal things full of pleasantries and PR. Wired Staff, WIRED, 30 Dec. 2023 But after Timberlake’s apparent jab at her, Spears isn’t interested in exchanging pleasantries, either. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2024 Shed are the pleasantries and the uncomfortable pants of the evening prior. Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 18 Nov. 2023 Their plastered smiles and scripted pleasantries represented a great loss of emotional freedom and a new level of managerial control. TIME, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pleasantry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pleasantry was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near pleasantry

Cite this Entry

“Pleasantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pleasantry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pleasantry

noun
pleas·​ant·​ry ˈplez-ᵊn-trē How to pronounce pleasantry (audio)
plural pleasantries
1
: agreeable playfulness in conversation
2
a
: a humorous act or speech
b
: a light or casual polite remark
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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