as in politeness
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Recent Examples of politesse
In 1948, Vogue published its 658-page Book of Etiquette, compiled by editor Millicent Fenwick, featuring how-tos, dos and don’ts, and the proper politesse for a remarkably varied set of scenarios.
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Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
The panel’s mid-century politesse is soothing, and the celebrity guests (Alfred Hitchcock!
—
Dan Zak,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
Not to mention the politesse of the ball requires these small exchanges.
—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Then Dave Foley smoothed over the fight with perfect Canadian politesse, saying Black’s idealism was adorable in 2025.
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2025
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
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
The panel’s mid-century politesse is soothing, and the celebrity guests (Alfred Hitchcock!
—
Dan Zak,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
Not to mention the politesse of the ball requires these small exchanges.
—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Then Dave Foley smoothed over the fight with perfect Canadian politesse, saying Black’s idealism was adorable in 2025.
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for politesse
Noun
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The board member who survives every conversation about them has been preserved not by respect but by politeness.
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Good bathroom etiquette here is less about politeness than safety, since a crowded aisle is something the crew would rather avoid.
Noun
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Before the yuppie era, a certain staid gentility prevailed.
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But his natural gentility is tough to dress down.
Noun
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The argument that the book makes is that, again, courage and civility -- only courage and civility will save us.
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Beginning in her early teens, Joyce loved watching Kirk’s debates on Instagram, seeing in them not carefully honed rhetorical tactics but authentic civility.
Noun
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Setting aside the question of whether any secondhand store would even want it, what is the appropriate etiquette?
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What is summer wedding guest nail color etiquette, or the best nail colors that will give your hands that glowy tan?
Noun
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The former daytime host then reflected on the graciousness of the Oprah studio audience during a mishap while filming Houston's final interview on the talk show in September 2009.
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Her graciousness in asking for the women in the room to stand up, and then hailing them, was another class act.
Noun
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More than 30,000 complimentary Dasani water bottles will be distributed to fans entering through the First Base, Third Base and Left Field gates, courtesy of Liberty Coke Bottlers.
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The statue’s creation is already underway courtesy of local sculptor Ben Victor.
Noun
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The laws regulating habitual drunkards were intended not to protect the general public against serious danger, but to protect civil order and decorum.
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But despite Clark’s wrongdoings on and off the course, the decorum of being a golf patron, especially at a major championship, is paramount.
Noun
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Choung Wan, an emeritus professor at Seoul’s Kyung Hee University Law School, said laws are urgently needed to protect the dignity and other rights of the deceased.
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But liberals should have confidence in meeting those fears with arguments about natural-law principles of equality and dignity underpinning our legal tradition.
Cite this Entry
“Politesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/politesse. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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