civility

noun

ci·vil·i·ty sə-ˈvi-lə-tē

plural civilities

Synonyms of civility next

: civilized conduct

especially : courtesy, politeness

bemoaned the decline of civility in our politics

: a polite act or expression

lacked the little civilities and hypocrisies of political society—

Roy Jenkins

The men briefly exchanged civilities before the meeting began.

archaic : training in the humanities

Examples of civility in a Sentence

They greeted each other with the usual exchange of civilities. after the usual civilities, the parents and the principal had a serious talk about the boy

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

But the dispute is becoming a proxy for broader debates about civility. —

Niall Stanage, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025 All views are welcome, as long as reasonable civility is maintained. —

Harvey Levine, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2025 That might be all the more true if parents heed the advice to approach teachers as partners in their children’s success, and treat them with civility and gratitude. —

Kara Alaimo, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024 The crowds at the Globe Theatre weren’t exactly known for their civility, either. —

David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for civility