polite
adjective
\
Definition of polite
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms & Antonyms for polite
Synonyms
civil, courteous, genteel, gracious, mannerly, well-bred
Antonyms
discourteous, ill-bred, ill-mannered, impolite, inconsiderate, mannerless, rude, thoughtless, uncivil, ungenteel, ungracious, unmannered, unmannerly
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of polite in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mahoney appeared surprised by the visit and was polite but didn't appear interested in resuming contact, Madden said. — Deborah Yetter, The Courier-Journal, "Drunk driver silent about Carrollton bus crash despite survivors' pleas," 13 May 2018 The Bay Area police officers who’d woken Aghdam up in a Walmart parking lot on April 3 were polite, but curious. — Teri Figueroa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Police release body cam video of YouTube shooter hours before attack," 13 Apr. 2018 My general philosophy of doing interviews is polite but persistent. — Daniel D'addario, Time, "'Not Everyone's Going to Love You.' Lester Holt on Scoops, Debates and Viewers’ Trust," 12 Apr. 2018 Children will learn that the Peep is noticing their good behavior, from practicing polite manners to helping with chores. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "'Peep on a Perch' Is the New 'Elf on a Shelf'," 8 Mar. 2019 What's the most polite way to avoid a host's terrible cooking? — Candace Braun Davison, House Beautiful, "Dinner Parties are Awkward. Amy Sedaris is Here to Help You Survive Them.," 19 Feb. 2019 After months of polite deferrals, Sundar Pichai finally went before Congress on Tuesday, and over the course of three and a half hours, said as little as possible. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "How Congress missed another chance to hold big tech accountable," 12 Dec. 2018 Here, Abby Green, children’s etiquette instructor at Southern Grace in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, shares her tips and tricks for teaching even your littlest ones how to make polite introductions. — Betsy Cribb, Southern Living, "The Proper Way to Teach Kids to Introduce Themselves, According to an Etiquette Expert," 10 July 2018 Press play on the Amazon original, and polite classical music draws the audience into a regal sitting room with red walls and a red rug. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "What's the Story With The Romanoffs Controversial Opening Credits?," 27 Oct. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'polite.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for polite
polite
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of polite
See the full definition for polite in the English Language Learners Dictionary
polite
adjective
\
Kids Definition of polite
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on polite
What made you want to look up polite? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?
-
- Which came first?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
-
Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?
Which word entered the English language first?
Take the quiz -
Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
Do you know these earlier meanings of words?
Take the quiz -
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz -
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Play the game
Share polite
Resources for polite