as in politeness
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Recent Examples of politesse
In 1948, Vogue published its 658-page Book of Etiquette, compiled by editor Millicent Fenwick, featuring how-tos, dos and don’ts, and the proper politesse for a remarkably varied set of scenarios.
—
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 8 May 2026
The panel’s mid-century politesse is soothing, and the celebrity guests (Alfred Hitchcock!
—Dan Zak, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
Not to mention the politesse of the ball requires these small exchanges.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
And indeed, by that time, there was little need for such politesse.
—Charlie Tyson, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
Then Dave Foley smoothed over the fight with perfect Canadian politesse, saying Black’s idealism was adorable in 2025.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
Even today, when people complain that much of the excitement of live bidding has disappeared, salesrooms at the major auction houses retain a singular atmosphere of politesse and extortion.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Behind the political politesse is the challenge of urban mayors to advocate for immediate needs, while also playing the longer game of seeking structural changes in how Connecticut meets its constitutional responsibility of equitably funding public education.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2025
Her social politesse transforms into a maternal fury and the air turns blue with inventive insults.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 8 May 2026
The panel’s mid-century politesse is soothing, and the celebrity guests (Alfred Hitchcock!
—Dan Zak, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
Not to mention the politesse of the ball requires these small exchanges.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
And indeed, by that time, there was little need for such politesse.
—Charlie Tyson, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
Then Dave Foley smoothed over the fight with perfect Canadian politesse, saying Black’s idealism was adorable in 2025.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
Even today, when people complain that much of the excitement of live bidding has disappeared, salesrooms at the major auction houses retain a singular atmosphere of politesse and extortion.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Behind the political politesse is the challenge of urban mayors to advocate for immediate needs, while also playing the longer game of seeking structural changes in how Connecticut meets its constitutional responsibility of equitably funding public education.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2025
Her social politesse transforms into a maternal fury and the air turns blue with inventive insults.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for politesse
Noun
-
The goldendoodle’s shoulder tap felt almost human in its politeness, and the woman’s response — smiling, breaking off a piece and blowing on it — felt effortlessly warm.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
-
When talking to your peers, politeness is of paramount importance.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But his natural gentility is tough to dress down.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2026
-
But the glory and gentility that had been the Pontchartrain was gone.—
Rick Bragg,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The visceral footage captures a neighborhood under siege, showcasing a breakdown of civility and a desperate police response.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
-
That civility is a thin veneer.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Glamour recently conducted an informal survey of more than 100 readers about all things group chat, including proper etiquette.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
-
Follow these mowing etiquette tips to avoid being the one that your neighbors are complaining about on Reddit.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Her graciousness in asking for the women in the room to stand up, and then hailing them, was another class act.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Today’s China may have lost a lot of the graciousness once bestowed on foreigners, or at least Americans, generally speaking, but one country that has been consistently convivial over several decades for this guy is Japan.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Photograph courtesy Jennifer Hulse Israel seized control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank during the Six-Day War, in 1967.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
For her final day of engagements in the area, Middleton wore a cream pleated Jenny Packham skirt, Blazé Milano pin-stripe blazer and belt, as well as Alicia flats in taupe and black courtesy of designer Camilla Elphick.—
Stefania Saltalamacchia,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The food remains rigorously composed but more attuned to our moment, and the servers, a number of whom have worked for Daniel Boulud for decades, prize warmth as much as decorum.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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Graf further noted that safeguards are already in place to protect the integrity of the proceedings, including limits on camera placement, courtroom decorum rules and restrictions on what attorneys can say publicly about the case.—
Adam Sabes , Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
The language of covenant, liberty, moral responsibility, human dignity, and redemption helped shape the nation’s moral imagination from the very beginning.—
Ari Berman,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
Major League Baseball is grinding through its second month with the daily dignity of a sport that has not yet figured out how to make a Tuesday Marlins-Rockies game feel like a gender reveal.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Politesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/politesse. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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