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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective polite contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of polite are chivalrous, civil, courteous, and gallant. While all these words mean "observant of the forms required by good breeding," polite commonly implies polish of speech and manners and sometimes suggests an absence of cordiality.

if you can't be pleasant, at least be polite

When might chivalrous be a better fit than polite?

The synonyms chivalrous and polite are sometimes interchangeable, but chivalrous suggests high-minded and self-sacrificing behavior.

a chivalrous display of duty

When is civil a more appropriate choice than polite?

Although the words civil and polite have much in common, civil often suggests little more than the avoidance of overt rudeness.

owed the questioner a civil reply

When is it sensible to use courteous instead of polite?

The meanings of courteous and polite largely overlap; however, courteous implies more actively considerate or dignified politeness.

clerks who were unfailingly courteous to customers

How are the words gallant and chivalrous related as synonyms of polite?

Both gallant and chivalrous imply courteous attentiveness especially to women. Gallant suggests spirited and dashing behavior and ornate expressions of courtesy.

a gallant suitor of the old school

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 polite Be polite with parents, bosses and the police to avoid an unexpected encounter. Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025 Even before she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska (2002), the 95-year-old actor had been a go-to Everygrandma, doling out enough geriatric sass to make the Golden Girls bow down yet doing so in the most polite, Midwestern way imaginable. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025 This 'polite verbal wrestling' (Rafiee, 1991) involves a delicate dance of offer and refusal, insistence and resistance, which shapes everyday interactions in Iranian culture, creating implicit rules for how generosity, gratitude, and requests are expressed. ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025 The staff — all the way up to the captain — have no such luxury, and will just have to be polite and soldier on, if that is the right phrase for naval personnel. Judith Martin, Mercury News, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for polite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polite
Adjective
  • The flagship offers an expansive collection of wallcoverings, rugs, furniture, and more, and aims to capture the welcoming, gracious environment the brand is known for while signaling its evolution.
    Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2025
  • But these aren’t gods in oh-so-gracious robes or with armor or holding lightning bolts in their hands.
    David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Rogers police sent out a news release Thursday about Act 557 of 2025, which allows people get their money back from the kiosks if people follow the proper procedures.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Equipment is not maintained in good repair or does not allow for proper adjustment (Condensation build-up inside of reach-in cooler).
    Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • European officials have also been warning about other hybrid threats and suspect Moscow was behind a string of incidents, including the sabotage of an undersea cable, cyberattacks, GPS jamming of civil aviation, and even acts of arson.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Dale Ellis covers the federal courthouse beat for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, reporting on criminal and civil matters that impact Arkansans.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The series boasted respectable special effects, cool early CGI spaceship design, and old-fashioned space escapades.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2025
  • When Sotheby’s rolled out a selection of Grateful Dead memorabilia in October 2021, a mango yellow T-shirt made in 1967 and featuring the band’s logo was expected to rake in a respectable $6,000 to $8,000.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Score our favorite new finds, including a brilliantly fun garlic peeler, a thoughtful batter dispenser for pancakes, baked goods, and more, and a genius two-in-one flipper spatula.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 8 Oct. 2025
  • In the real world, this could look like strengthening a partnership through thoughtful gestures, receiving a windfall of support from family or finding joy in everyday rituals that suddenly feel sacred.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • California native of the week: California geranium (Geranium californium) is a perennial endemic to the Sierra Nevada that grows into a one-foot mound bearing flowers in white, pink, or lavender with large, highly decorous palmate leaves.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
  • The hearings are usually decorous affairs, where anger is routine but controlled.
    David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In contrast to any expectations of bravado his work might engender, his demeanor was courteous, understated, his conversation as sharp and perceptive as his art.
    Edna Bonhomme, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
  • By blending emotion with function, this companion robot proves that the future of robotics could be courteous and cuddly.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • How many grafts does each zone need to achieve a satisfactory outcome for the eye?
    Nia Bowers, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • If someone asks if arrangements are satisfactory?
    Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Polite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polite. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on polite

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