as in graceful
having or showing elegance
his courtly manners made him a favorite escort of widowed socialites
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Recent Examples of courtly
This single feast, emblematic of Fes’s cuisine, carries the taste of the courtly table of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, the flavors served at the Alhambra in Islamic Andalucia, a blend of West African spices, and Amazigh know-how.
—
Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2025
And so, despite some emotionally satiating patriotic rhetoric on the campaign trail, Carney was deferential and complimentary to Trump on his courtly visit to the Oval Office shortly after winning the election.
—Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
The Tale of Genji ’s early chapters are rooted in fairy-tale monogatari, but the book soon metamorphoses into its own strange thing, a courtly romance that follows Prince Genji over his half century of life, and then, after Genji’s death, takes up the lives of the next generation.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
Not long after her wedding to Wu Ding, her father-in-law the king died, and the family was obligated to formally mourn and abstain from courtly life for three years.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for courtly
Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2025
And so, despite some emotionally satiating patriotic rhetoric on the campaign trail, Carney was deferential and complimentary to Trump on his courtly visit to the Oval Office shortly after winning the election.
—Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
The Tale of Genji ’s early chapters are rooted in fairy-tale monogatari, but the book soon metamorphoses into its own strange thing, a courtly romance that follows Prince Genji over his half century of life, and then, after Genji’s death, takes up the lives of the next generation.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
Not long after her wedding to Wu Ding, her father-in-law the king died, and the family was obligated to formally mourn and abstain from courtly life for three years.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for courtly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courtly
Adjective
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Old stone walls and graceful arches frame olive and citrus groves and gum trees, while antique pieces gathered from European markets dot the corners.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the Islamic Republic’s disintegration, whereas Trump, possibly satisfied with tactical success in Iran, may desire any graceful exit.—
Alexander Langlois,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Certain trim levels feature a handsome, textured pattern.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
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Platonic best friends Juniper and Mo could be perfectly happy tending to their cottage, ignoring the call for adventure that has Mo restless every winter and Juniper worried about losing his handsome soulmate roommate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Back in my rooms, I was brought a box of French macarons and a bottle of Greek tentura, a cinnamon liqueur produced in the city of Patras, another elegant presentation of new alongside old, international alongside local.—
Sarah Manguso,
Travel + Leisure,
2 May 2026
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Plants flower spring through fall in elegant shades of purple, pink, blue, and white.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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The fine points of class-action law were, of course, less influential than Crenshaw’s insistence on paying close attention to the way Black women were treated by the courts, and the essay’s most memorable lines were broader categorical claims.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Great White’s trainer, John Ennis, confirmed to The Associated Press that the big gray gelding and jockey Alex Achard were fine.—
Stephen Whyno,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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The Trumps later showed off the White House's new beehive to the royal couple.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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Von Steuben’s military career, intelligence and connection to the royal family elevated him into elite circles.—
Amanda Rosa
Updated April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But the Ballances were more than gallant warriors – in fact, a life-size oil painting of Marti’s great-grandfather Charles Ballance’s wife and children – including her grandfather Willis as a 3-year-old – hangs in a place of honor at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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And Texas made a gallant comeback to tie the game at 77-77 when Pope coolly sank three consecutive free throws after getting fouled behind the arc with 3.8 seconds remaining.—
Kirk Bohls,
Houston Chronicle,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Courtly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courtly. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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