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, 4 Dec. 2025
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
While Jones and O’Dowd balance tenderness with dark humor, Ellis masters the art of cold corporate politesse.
—Judy Berman, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
When the vast majority of characters in the franchise behave respectfully, the Emperor’s lack of politesse is a breath of fresh air.
—Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2025
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
While Jones and O’Dowd balance tenderness with dark humor, Ellis masters the art of cold corporate politesse.
—Judy Berman, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
When the vast majority of characters in the franchise behave respectfully, the Emperor’s lack of politesse is a breath of fresh air.
—Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 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 potential for combustion was always present, the end of civility always near.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
-
While news outlets attempt to maintain civility in comment sections by various forms of moderation and by articulating policies of acceptable speech, moderating comments itself is a labor-intensive endeavor, and not all news outlets want to or can dedicate the necessary amount of resources to it.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Because good ex-etiquette isn’t about pretending the past didn’t happen.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
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Get the answer to these questions and more plant shopping etiquette from a nursery expert so can shop nurseries with confidence, and save some time and money, too.—
Erica Browne Grivas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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 Larysa Khodymchuk Nataliia had made many visits to Chernobyl over the years.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
JetBlue said customers with disabilities will still be invited to pre-board, while active military members and those traveling with car seats or strollers will be offered courtesy boarding.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In my life, up until that time, there had been a sense of decorum expected in the Presidential campaigns.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Nothing to see here, although neither her lawyer nor her accountant’s name are known and when asked for such information, Omar can strike out with the decorum of a sailor on leave.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Before investing millions more yen in robotic experiments, the next policy response might be to meaningfully lift wages as part of a broader effort to restore dignity and status to the work itself.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
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The hospice movement that emerged in the latter half of the last century improved conditions for patients in the later years of life, replacing sterile, clinical hospital settings with holistic care centered on pain management, dignity, and quality of life.—
Tom Koutsoumpas,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Politesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/politesse. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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