courtesy title

noun

1

: a title (such as "Lord" added to the Christian name of a peer's younger son) used in addressing certain lineal relatives of British peers

2

: a title (such as "Professor" for any teacher) taken by the user and commonly accepted without consideration of official right

Examples of courtesy title in a Sentence

the courtesy titles “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” “Ms.,” “Dr.,” etc.

As a child, he was taught to address his elders with the courtesy titles “sir” and “ma'am.”

Recent Examples on the Web

While Princess Anne's children were not entitled to royal status by birth since titles can only be given to a sovereign's grandchildren through sons, Queen Elizabeth extended a courtesy title to Anne's kids, which her daughter declined. —Janine Henni, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025

While Peter and Zara were not entitled to royal status by birth, Queen Elizabeth extended a courtesy title to Anne’s children, which her daughter politely declined in the hope of providing a more normal childhood. —Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2023

Indeed, courtesy titles of any kind are in danger of disappearing. —Miss Manners | Judith Martin, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Aug. 2023

Smith, who grew up in Colorado Springs and uses a gender-neutral courtesy title. —Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Dec. 2022

Devine, the founder of Lolide, who uses a gender neutral courtesy title. —Abigail Covington, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2022

An article last Sunday about maternal health in the United States used an incorrect courtesy title for one of its authors, Jordan Downey. —New York Times, 27 Nov. 2021

Even without being born an official prince, Archie was entitled to the courtesy title of Earl of Dumbarton as heir to his dad's Scottish earldom. —Andrea Park, Marie Claire, 8 Mar. 2021

Henry was born in Highclere on January 19, 1924, and given the courtesy title of Lord Porchester as the son of the 6th Earl of Carnarvon. —Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, 21 Nov. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for courtesy title

• entitle
• recital
• subtitle
• vital