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
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Recent Examples of politeness
The clearest firebrand of the group is Suzanne (Mia Barron), whose patronizing politeness will eventually give way to rage once her views are challenged.
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
The poster themselves shared their belief in the power of politeness.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
While the wife’s new friendship may have started innocently, the man felt compelled to put his family’s comfort above politeness.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
The poster themselves shared their belief in the power of politeness.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
While the wife’s new friendship may have started innocently, the man felt compelled to put his family’s comfort above politeness.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for politeness
Noun
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For me, Mandarin carries the rituals and manners of growing up in Taiwan, while English feels tied to the independence of moving to London at 18 without my family.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
24 Sep. 2025
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Our clothes and manners are far more casual.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Its intuitive interface allows for operation with minimal training, either through direct hand gestures or semi-autonomous navigation during transport between deployment sites.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Those diplomatic gestures, along with his success in attracting foreign investment, won Vučić international praise as an effective reformer.—
Hanna Begić,
The Conversation,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Viewer Reactions Instagram users instantly flocked to the video, touched by Rusty's attentiveness and curiosity.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Both audiences can struggle with attentiveness, want to be led, and ultimately just want to have fun.—
Nina West
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Two minutes later, Masco evened the score, 7-7, courtesy of a 55-yard dash from Jack Fabiano (16 carries, 101 yards).—
Justin Barrasso,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Wahlberg plays a holy fool in Boogie Nights, our naïve but well-endowed guide through the heyday of theatrical pornography and its decline into something cheaper and tawdrier courtesy of the triumph of VHS.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
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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But over the last several years, Priscilla Presley’s glamorous ’60s style transitioned to more understated elegance.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
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There’s no fabric more classic than toile, which brings elegance to any space.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Eisgruber also believes that speech should conform to norms of civility.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
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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
Noun
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But genuine thoughtfulness—the kind that comes naturally?—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
18 Sep. 2025
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The thoughtfulness of the design should come as no surprise consider the property’s name; hygge is a Danish word that loosely translates to the art of building a warm, welcoming sanctuary.—
Carley Rojas Ávila,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Politeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/politeness. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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