POLITENESS Synonyms: 112 Similar and Opposite Words

politeness

noun

Definition of politeness

as in manners

speech or behavior that is a sign of good breeding the little girl's politeness greatly impressed her teacher

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in gesture

an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners inquiring after his wife was a simple politeness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of politeness There’s a certain kind of gentility and politeness, and then on the flip side, dark humor and grotesquerie. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026 Is the nation’s vaunted politeness actually just passive-aggressiveness? — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2026 The dynamic between the parents and the perpetrators steadily escalates from politeness to hostility to eventual torture, all while maintaining a frustrating attitude of inevitability and justification toward the former’s fate. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 She’s used to chief stews who yell and is thrown off by Aesha’s politeness. — Emma Soren, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026 Southworth started focusing more specifically on civility, decency, and politeness after COVID, when many employees were fleeing the hospitality industry—all while the membership at their clubs was doubling. — Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026 The board member who survives every conversation about them has been preserved not by respect but by politeness. — Audrey Russo, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Good bathroom etiquette here is less about politeness than safety, since a crowded aisle is something the crew would rather avoid. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026 For the most part, CTA personnel act with grace and politeness, although the sour drivers can influence the riders’ experiences as well. — Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for politeness

Noun

The problem isn’t so much a question of bad manners or even of corruption.

— Robert A. Ballingall, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026
On the Awesome Etiquette podcast, Lizzie Post and Daniel Post Senning answer your questions on, well, pressing manners.

— Air Mail, Air Mail, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of manners

Noun

The score came courtesy of center back Casemiro, who tapped the ball to Suarez on the left side of the box before the Uruguayan knocked it into the top right corner.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
There are also opportunities to learn more about how hunting can provide food and help foster regional wildlife conservation courtesy of guest speakers.

— Heide Brandes, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of courtesy

Noun

In World Cup lore, however, his gallantry is doomed to be overshadowed by that of his fellow-goalkeeper from Cabo Verde, Vozinha, who had already produced an uncanny impersonation of a brick wall on the fourth day of the tournament.

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
In all of these cases, the effect is largely the same—forging intimacy through some level of generosity or gallantry, coupled with pure, physical proximity—and in 2026, all of them are still technically possible.

— Sara Delgado, Vogue, 9 July 2026

Definition of gallantry

Noun

Beautiful cemeteries can captivate with their artistic and architectural elegance, entice with lessons in local history, and tantalize the senses with botanical delights.

— Mitchell Gilburne, Architectural Digest, 26 Oct. 2026
The Napoleonic Wars raged across continental Europe, but that did not stop society life from carrying on in all its dazzling elegance.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of elegance

Noun

But Edgecomb is among the Maine voters who remember LePage’s polarizing years as governor and decided to support his Democratic opponent, state auditor Matt Dunlap, citing a desire for more civility in Washington.

— David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
But the civility evaporated as soon as Hedda’s column began pulling readers away from the Examiner.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of civility

Noun

Surely most people would prefer to see big cuts to federal agencies made with thoughtfulness and care?

— Sheelah Kolhatkar, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
The thoughtfulness extends to every nook and cranny of the property— for instance, in the fitness center, guests can spin on Pelotons equipped with Hulu and Netflix.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of thoughtfulness

Browse Nearby Words

politely

politeness

politesse

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“Politeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/politeness. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of politeness

noun

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