as in polite
showing consideration, courtesy, and good manners
a well-bred young woman who is unfailingly polite to everyone
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Recent Examples of well-bred
As the sun set on the gentlemanly era of relationship banking, Wall Street needed to recruit huge numbers of the most talented—not just well-bred or best-connected—bankers to keep up.
—
Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for well-bred
Adjective
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Films that would once have sparked competitive bidding are screening to polite attention and noncommittal follow-up meetings.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
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The old-school kind where everybody is mostly well-behaved and polite, and the audience scrolls on their phones to stay awake.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Full-price items meet their most gracious price point for attainable at-home renos, and the sitewide sale prices finally make wedding registry shopping more affordable.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
15 May 2026
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Sit for a spell on the gracious front porch or have a meal in the elegant onsite eatery.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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The company was hit with the maximum civil penalty of $5,000 per violation, totaling $375 million.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
17 May 2026
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The bishop, speaking with the Washington Examiner ahead of the address, called belief in the Christian God a fundamental underpinning of American civil society that guarantees minority faiths’ freedoms.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Well-bred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-bred. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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