civility

noun

ci·​vil·​i·​ty sə-ˈvi-lə-tē 

plural civilities

1

a

: civilized conduct

especially : courtesy, politeness

bemoaned the decline of civility in our politics

b

: a polite act or expression

lacked the little civilities and hypocrisies of political society

—Roy Jenkins

The men briefly exchanged civilities before the meeting began.

2

archaic : training in the humanities

Synonyms

• amenity
• attention
• courtesy
• formality
• gesture
• pleasantry
• politeness

Examples of civility in a Sentence

They greeted each other with the usual exchange of civilities.

after the usual civilities, the parents and the principal had a serious talk about the boy

Recent Examples on the Web

The crowds at the Globe Theatre weren’t exactly known for their civility, either. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2025

High on Hannegan’s list of changes for the collector’s office was a new commitment to civility and customer service. —Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024

While some see civility, others in Manistique feel like the city has become increasingly hostile to one another. —Alexander Boesch and Lindsay Tague, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024

Prioritizing workplace civility is a critical workplace initiative that needs attention. —Sandy Harvey, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see civil

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

civility

noun

ci·​vil·​i·​ty sə-ˈvil-ət-ē 

plural civilities

1

: civilized conduct

especially : courtesy sense 1, politeness

2

: a polite act or expression