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
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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
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Recent Examples of civility
Republicans defended Kirk, condemning the political violence that led to his death and calling for civility.
—
Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 2025
To Washington, a beard made a man look unkempt and slovenly, masking the higher emotions that civility required.
—Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Eisgruber also believes that speech should conform to norms of civility.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
When human decency and basic civility fall victim to partisanship and ideology, and abhorrence of violence becomes tempered by political aims, monstrosities and tyrannies become possible.
—Michael Bloomberg, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civility
Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 2025
To Washington, a beard made a man look unkempt and slovenly, masking the higher emotions that civility required.
—Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Eisgruber also believes that speech should conform to norms of civility.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
When human decency and basic civility fall victim to partisanship and ideology, and abhorrence of violence becomes tempered by political aims, monstrosities and tyrannies become possible.
—Michael Bloomberg, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civility
Noun
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Photograph courtesy Oscilloscope Laboratories 3.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
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In between his different projects, Emms took time to talk to THR about The Choral, being part of the Star Wars universe, courtesy of Andor, and what is next for him.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Judith Martin's Miss Manners column has chronicled the continuous rise and fall of American manners since 1978.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
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This Is the Way to Tea Party From setting the table to greeting guests, Cece teaches her friends how to use their best manners while enjoying a tea party.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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At the end of Monday's live Atlas demonstration, the humanoid prototype swung its arms in a theatrical gesture to introduce a static model of the new product version of Atlas, which looked slightly different and was blue in color.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
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By integrating vision, audio, and language, IntEngine enables Nylo to coordinate speech, facial expressions, and gestures in real time.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The advice here is to stop overcommitting out of politeness.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
4 Jan. 2026
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And yet, beneath the veil of politeness, there was rhetoric from the US president that suggests his default position in negotiations is still to pressure Kyiv, while appeasing Moscow.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The clean double-breasted buttons instantly add elegance to your airport outfit, especially when paired with a matching Amazon Essentials Turtleneck and sleek black Libin Wide-leg Dress Pants to keep you warm and comfortable from takeoff to arrival.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
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But the elegance in this quirky look did feel complicated, challenging even, to take in at first glance.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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Good care requires a level of presence and attentiveness that just can’t be scaled.—
Jen Zamzow,
The Conversation,
17 Dec. 2025
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The company is aiming squarely at a traveler who wants the convenience of commercial routes but the comfort and attentiveness that usually come with chartering a jet.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Axiom’s Recipe for Success The thoughtfulness required for such high-quality pest control is reflected in Axiom's practical and scientific methods.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Behind the toast, there’s also a glimpse of Swift’s signature thoughtfulness.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Civility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civility. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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