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“polite”
courteous, polite
courteous (KUR tee uhs) (adjective)
A reference to having and usingDemonstrating respect by good manners and behavior: It is courteous to stand when the justice enters the court room.
polite (puh LIGHT) (adjective)
A reference to having and using proper social skills and manners: Mary's polite manners have a certain polish, reflecting the education and experiences she acquired when she was attending a university.
Byron's mother taught him to always be polite to her friends; and as a result, they often told her how courteous and charming he was.
This entry is located in the following unit:
Confusing Words Clarified: Group C; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc.
(page 11)
polite (adjective); politer, more polite; politest, most polite
1. Having and showing good manners or respect for other people: Jim told his sister that her children are very polite because they behave so well with other people.
The moderator of the TV program reminded her guests that it isn't polite to interrupt other guests when they are talking.
The actress received some polite applause from the audience despite the fact that she made some blunders during the live performance.
2. Socially proper or correct; such as when speaking: Speech that is not offensive and which can be used in various situations can be referred to as being polite.There are some words which should not be expressed in polite company; particularly with people who expect good manners and decent speech.
3. Etymology: from Latin politus, "elegant, refined, accomplished"; literally, "polished"; from Latin polire, "to polish, to make smooth".