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Meanings of polite in English

Portuguese
educado
Catalan
educat
Spanish
correcto

Not rude; marked by satisfactory (or especially minimal) adherence to social usages and sufficient but not noteworthy consideration for others.

educado
Portuguese
gentil

Showing regard for others in manners, speech, behavior, etc.

Related terms
gentil
Synonyms
Examples for "courtly"
Examples for "courtly"
1
The remaining nobles were dressed in courtly apparel and becoming the scene.
Lady Rosamond's Secret: A Romance of Fredericton
2
Resolutely formal and courtly: the very model of the traditional Adwami aristocrat.
Blood and Bone
3
Up in the empyrean courtly circles his relations were quite as gratifying.
The Prince of India; Or, Why Constantinople Fell — Volume 02
4
The Major was a courtly gentleman who told stories of the war.
Senator North
5
Shandi walked me though the courtly dances of a half dozen countries.
The Name of the Wind

Marked by refinement in taste and manners.

Related terms
Usage of polite in English
1
In as polite and well accessorized a way as possible, of course.
Timeless
2
No one mentioned the case to him, nothing but empty, polite talk.
Death of a Red Heroine
3
Energy companies want more than a polite conversation with the prime minister.
The Guardian
4
And I said, 'Thank you for supper,' because that is being polite.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
5
Wouldn't it be polite to let me ask the questions, Ms. Creed?
Provenance
6
This was completely in keeping with national character: Canadians are famously polite.
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth
7
Research what it means to be polite or offensive in different cultures.
Climbing Magazine
8
She said she couldn't stay long, from which Erlendur read polite caution.
Voices
9
And haven't we known each other too many years to talk polite?
Lost in translation
10
Diversity is no longer just a polite buzzword for most Irish companies.
The Irish Times
11
Bush received pockets of polite applause from the mainly African American crowd.
Reuters
12
Is it acceptable in polite society to say Beethoven symphonies are overrated?
The Guardian
13
You would have an opportunity to finish your meal in polite company.
The Memoirs of Cleopatra
14
Hotels are largely empty; managers very polite; restaurants must close at 10.
The Audacious War
15
The social aspirant should cultivate the art of saying polite nothings acceptably.
Mother's Remedies / Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies ...
16
This polite description occurs in the Accounts of Amiot Arnaut, in 1392.
Arts and Crafts in the Middle Ages / A Description of Mediaeval ...
About this term
More collocations
Translations for polite
Polite through the time
Polite across language varieties
United Kingdom
Common
United States of America
Common
Australia
Common
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