politeness

noun

Definition of politenessnext
1
as in manners
speech or behavior that is a sign of good breeding the little girl's politeness greatly impressed her teacher

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gesture
an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners inquiring after his wife was a simple politeness

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 politeness There’s a certain kind of gentility and politeness, and then on the flip side, dark humor and grotesquerie. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026 Is the nation’s vaunted politeness actually just passive-aggressiveness? — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2026 The dynamic between the parents and the perpetrators steadily escalates from politeness to hostility to eventual torture, all while maintaining a frustrating attitude of inevitability and justification toward the former’s fate. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 She’s used to chief stews who yell and is thrown off by Aesha’s politeness. — Emma Soren, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026 Southworth started focusing more specifically on civility, decency, and politeness after COVID, when many employees were fleeing the hospitality industry—all while the membership at their clubs was doubling. — Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026 The board member who survives every conversation about them has been preserved not by respect but by politeness. — Audrey Russo, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Good bathroom etiquette here is less about politeness than safety, since a crowded aisle is something the crew would rather avoid. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026 For the most part, CTA personnel act with grace and politeness, although the sour drivers can influence the riders’ experiences as well. — Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for politeness
  1. manners
  2. gesture
  3. attentiveness
  4. courtesy
  5. gallantry
  6. elegance
  7. civility
  8. thoughtfulness
Noun
  • These rules span what Americans would sort into law, ethics, manners and worship, as law professor and an authority on Islamic law Asifa Quraishi-Landes has explained.
    — Asma Uddin, The Conversation, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Many teach-abroad programs where people can teach English as a foreign language in Thailand cite that smiling often with children and colleagues is key to showing respect, good manners and calmness.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of manners
Noun
  • From the mid-2010s on, the pop-crossover gesture has become an exceedingly common trend in all flavors of indie.
    — Larry Fitzmaurice, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The gesture drew criticism from Ruby Farmer, a 68-year-old Detroit retiree.
    — Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of gesture
Noun
  • Or is that simply naivete borne of the American myth that our candidates’ attentiveness extends beyond the ballot box and endures long after Election Day?
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Next-level attentiveness from friendly staff certainly helps.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of attentiveness
Noun
  • The score came courtesy of center back Casemiro, who tapped the ball to Suarez on the left side of the box before the Uruguayan knocked it into the top right corner.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
  • There are also opportunities to learn more about how hunting can provide food and help foster regional wildlife conservation courtesy of guest speakers.
    — Heide Brandes, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of courtesy
Noun
  • In World Cup lore, however, his gallantry is doomed to be overshadowed by that of his fellow-goalkeeper from Cabo Verde, Vozinha, who had already produced an uncanny impersonation of a brick wall on the fourth day of the tournament.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • In all of these cases, the effect is largely the same—forging intimacy through some level of generosity or gallantry, coupled with pure, physical proximity—and in 2026, all of them are still technically possible.
    — Sara Delgado, Vogue, 9 July 2026
Definition of gallantry
Noun
  • Yet Lee shows that the iron sense of control with which Brookner approached her own legacy runs through her fiction, too, creating the austere elegance that characterizes her prose.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Certainly not Polo Ralph Lauren, whose new Polo Blaze collection brings the elegance of the stables to city streets.
    — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of elegance
Noun
  • The group, which has the oldest average age, places a high value on civility in politics, are conservative on economic issues and more moderate on race and immigration.
    — Frank Langfitt, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026
  • But Edgecomb is among the Maine voters who remember LePage’s polarizing years as governor and decided to support his Democratic opponent, state auditor Matt Dunlap, citing a desire for more civility in Washington.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of civility
Noun
  • Surely most people would prefer to see big cuts to federal agencies made with thoughtfulness and care?
    — Sheelah Kolhatkar, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The thoughtfulness extends to every nook and cranny of the property— for instance, in the fitness center, guests can spin on Pelotons equipped with Hulu and Netflix.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of thoughtfulness

Browse Nearby Words

politely
politeness
politesse
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Cite this Entry

“Politeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/politeness. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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