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
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The board member who survives every conversation about them has been preserved not by respect but by politeness.
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Good bathroom etiquette here is less about politeness than safety, since a crowded aisle is something the crew would rather avoid.
Noun
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Before the yuppie era, a certain staid gentility prevailed.
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While widely opposed because of the jarring mixture of southern gentility and Pittsburgh-centricity, the merger doubled the size of the airline and brought the Charlotte hub, now American’s second largest hub and the third biggest single airline hub in the world.
Noun
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The argument that the book makes is that, again, courage and civility -- only courage and civility will save us.
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Beginning in her early teens, Joyce loved watching Kirk’s debates on Instagram, seeing in them not carefully honed rhetorical tactics but authentic civility.
Noun
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That also comes down to Blackberry’s affable take on Southern-style etiquette—polite but authentic and real; formal when called for yet folksy and easygoing when appropriate.
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There's social etiquette and then there's Mama'n'em's etiquette.
Noun
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The former daytime host then reflected on the graciousness of the Oprah studio audience during a mishap while filming Houston's final interview on the talk show in September 2009.
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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.
Noun
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Sugar is at the forensic lab with the corpse of a man who looks an awful lot like Ji Moon but isn’t Ji Moon (courtesy of Shea Whigham as Tom Flybjerg).
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The purists were always going to take issue with a Prancing Horse that had an electric powertrain instead of snarling internal combustion engine, but its unorthodox design, courtesy of Jony Ivy’s LoveFrom studio, has received just as much criticism.
Noun
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The laws regulating habitual drunkards were intended not to protect the general public against serious danger, but to protect civil order and decorum.
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But despite Clark’s wrongdoings on and off the course, the decorum of being a golf patron, especially at a major championship, is paramount.
Noun
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Educators, administrators, first responders, health care workers and front-line service providers must be required to receive training that promotes cultural understanding and dignity as the principles of service for Muslim and Arab communities.
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It is pursued through courage, determination, and the belief that every person deserves dignity, opportunity, and the right to shape their own future.
Cite this Entry
“Politesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/politesse. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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