1
as in courtesy
an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners
after the usual civilities, the parents and the principal had a serious talk about the boy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in manners
speech or behavior that is a sign of good breeding
treated people from all walks of life with the same unfailing civility
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of civility
After a career defined by playing gangsters, an avenging taxi driver and a paranoid prize fighter, Robert De Niro will be issuing a call for civility, as first spoken by Abraham Lincoln.
—
ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
That our divorce, though managed with comparative civility, caused our daughter abiding pain hardened my resolve to cap my output at one.
—Daniel Smith, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
Kuper suggests that, where English hooliganism represents a grotesque form of nostalgia, postwar Japanese civility is a pose predicated on collective amnesia about wartime atrocities.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
The role of any newspaper, especially one with the long and proud legacy of The Sun, is not to smooth over uncomfortable realities in the name of civility.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civility
ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
That our divorce, though managed with comparative civility, caused our daughter abiding pain hardened my resolve to cap my output at one.
—Daniel Smith, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
Kuper suggests that, where English hooliganism represents a grotesque form of nostalgia, postwar Japanese civility is a pose predicated on collective amnesia about wartime atrocities.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
The role of any newspaper, especially one with the long and proud legacy of The Sun, is not to smooth over uncomfortable realities in the name of civility.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civility
Noun
-
Alcantara left the mound with a lead, courtesy of the bottom of Miami’s lineup stringing together hits in the second.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Photograph courtesy Netflix At the very top level of the pop-music empyrean, where the K-pop group BTS surely resides, an album release is never just an album release.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Judith Martin's Miss Manners column has chronicled the continuous rise and fall of American manners since 1978.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Jeremiah is a friendly, affectionate and respectful teen who is known for his polite manners and eagerness to help others.—
The Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Hojgaard and defending champion Min Woo Lee (67) chose to stay back on their way to the 18th green to give Woodland the stage to himself, a gesture rarely seen outside the majors.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
In addition to tilt and pressure sensitivity, the Apple Pencil Pro adds squeeze and delete functions to the palette, along with a new barrel roll gesture and haptic vibrational feedback.—
Cierra Cowan,
PC Magazine,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Friendly or the blank politeness of impartiality?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
-
His father was William Shawn, editor for 35 years of The New Yorker, known for his own mix of politeness and steel.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Long before American beauty became synonymous with department stores, celebrity founders and global conglomerates, Hudnut was exporting American elegance internationally.—
Sudhir Gupta,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Far from being a nostalgic nod, this trend resurrects the kind of practical elegance that characterized generations past.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There’s a quixotic gallantry to appealing to a saner conservative and looking ahead to a post-Trump American politics.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Queen Elizabeth later awarded Beaton the George's Cross, Britain’s highest civilian award for gallantry, for his role in saving her daughter’s life, and bestowed honors on Callender, as well as the other policemen and onlookers who intervened.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Life without that kind of attentiveness?—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
-
This conviction shaped his attentiveness to Jews facing state oppression.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Extreme thoughtfulness went into the property built on the site of a former prominent elementary school, with some of its sakura (cherry blossom) and Japanese maple trees now waving in the breeze after being carefully moved pre-construction and replanted upon completion.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Begent said the winning artists were chosen for their technical skills and thoughtfulness of designs.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Civility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civility. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
