POLITESSE Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

politesse

noun

Definition of politesse

as in politeness

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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 politesse Not to mention the politesse of the ball requires these small exchanges. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026 And indeed, by that time, there was little need for such politesse. — Charlie Tyson, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026 Even today, when people complain that much of the excitement of live bidding has disappeared, salesrooms at the major auction houses retain a singular atmosphere of politesse and extortion. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 Her social politesse transforms into a maternal fury and the air turns blue with inventive insults. — Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for politesse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for politesse

Noun

There’s a certain kind of gentility and politeness, and then on the flip side, dark humor and grotesquerie.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Is the nation’s vaunted politeness actually just passive-aggressiveness?

— Judith Martin, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of politeness

Noun

Similarly, after the traumas of the Civil War and Reconstruction, some Southern writers emphasized aberrant behavior to undercut the aristocratic whitewash of gentility and custom.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Neil Fuentes, a founder of the New Haven Academy of Performing Arts and the artistic director of Broadway on Main, brings an uncommon gentility and hearty spirit to the character of Murray the Cop.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of gentility

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

By the Victorian era, particularly following Prince Albert’s death in 1861 and Queen Victoria’s subsequent four decades in mourning, bereavement had evolved into an elaborate system of social etiquette.

— Livia Caligor, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
And there would have been girls rebelling against social etiquette back then, like, there would now.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of etiquette

Noun

The service Staff are relaxed and friendly, and maintain a casual environment without skimping on graciousness.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
There’s a graciousness that runs through these evenings spent with their friends at dinners and happy hours before meals out, with each moment spent together as much a cause for celebration as the event itself.

— Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of graciousness

Noun

Many of the stories, interviews and analyses Jake Tapper presents to his followers on CNN rely heavily on moving pictures, courtesy of his employer.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026
To add finishing touches to her look, Adams wore a pair of gold statement earrings, along with a cocktail ring courtesy of David Webb.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of courtesy

Noun

The blunderbuss of violations of the basic decorum and dignity of democracy have become such a daily matter that the increasingly familiar response is to sigh and surrender.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
However, her choice of a plainer variety for Monday’s festivities fit with the occasion’s decorum.

— Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of decorum

Noun

Under Porter's direction, the ensemble mines every beat for honest friction, turning a century-old battle over dignity and artistic ownership into an electrifying stage presence.

— La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Absurd and darkly humorous drama, offering an unconventional take on aging, loneliness and human dignity.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of dignity

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“Politesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/politesse. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of politesse

noun

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