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
The serial killer is the Red Death wearing the mask of civility and friendship.
—S.a. Cosby, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
The behavior displayed by Dr. Behrend has raised significant concerns, resulting in multiple meetings, multiple concerns from residents, a review of our security protocols, and engagement with the Human Relations Council to explore a formal code of civility.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
When co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson and the rest of their creative team home in on what makes these girls and women tick, maneuvering the characters to reflect the thin line between civility and the feral, Yellowjackets is luscious, immersive, and barbed.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
This means not only a safe plane, but a safe cabin where everyone conducts themselves with civility....
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civility
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
S.a. Cosby, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
The behavior displayed by Dr. Behrend has raised significant concerns, resulting in multiple meetings, multiple concerns from residents, a review of our security protocols, and engagement with the Human Relations Council to explore a formal code of civility.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
When co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson and the rest of their creative team home in on what makes these girls and women tick, maneuvering the characters to reflect the thin line between civility and the feral, Yellowjackets is luscious, immersive, and barbed.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
This means not only a safe plane, but a safe cabin where everyone conducts themselves with civility....
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civility
Articles Related to civility
Cite this Entry
“Civility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civility. Accessed 4 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share