civility
noun
ci·vil·i·ty
sə-ˈvi-lə-tē 
plural civilities
1
a
: civilized conduct
b
: a polite act or expression
lacked the little civilities and hypocrisies of political society—
Roy Jenkins
Roy JenkinsThe men briefly exchanged civilities before the meeting began.
2
archaic
: training in the humanities
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
This will vanish problems not just for families but also improve airplane civility.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
In the general election, Lago defeated opponent Kirk Menendez, who had opted not to run for reelection to his position as commissioner and vowed to restore civility to the commission if elected as mayor.
—Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2025
What hasn’t gotten headlines are the more than 100 universities that have launched civility initiatives in their wake.
—Stephen Humphries, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2025
Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas preached the virtues of civility to kick off an event aimed at bringing the community together.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civility
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Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
In the general election, Lago defeated opponent Kirk Menendez, who had opted not to run for reelection to his position as commissioner and vowed to restore civility to the commission if elected as mayor.
—Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2025
What hasn’t gotten headlines are the more than 100 universities that have launched civility initiatives in their wake.
—Stephen Humphries, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2025
Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas preached the virtues of civility to kick off an event aimed at bringing the community together.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civility
Cite this Entry
“Civility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civility. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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