Polished, refined, or elegant in speech, manner, or behavior; well-bred; courteous; complaisant; obliging: said of persons or their speech or behavior, etc.: as, polite society; he was very polite.
polite definition: behaving in a way that is considerate and not rude. Check meanings, examples, usage tips, pronunciation, domains, and related words. Discover expressions like "polite fiction", "polite as a picture", "in polite society".
civil, polite, courteous, gallant, chivalrous mean observant of the forms required by good breeding. civil often suggests little more than the avoidance of overt rudeness.
What is meant and perceived as polite in a given context, however, will depend on judgments of appropriateness and markedness.
Someone who is polite has good manners and behaves in a way that is socially correct and not rude to other people. Everyone around him was trying to be polite, but you could tell they were all bored. Gonzales, a quiet and very polite young man, made a favorable impression.
Definition of polite adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Polite and mannerly imply consideration for others and the adherence to conventional social standards of good behavior: "She was so polite and unwilling to offend that she wouldn't always make her feelings and intentions clear" (Jane Mayer and Jill Abramson).
of a refined or elegant kind: polite learning. po lite′ness, n. 1. well-bred, gracious. See civil. 2. urbane, polished, poised, courtly, cultivated. 1. 2. rude. In Lists: Top 2000 English words, Desirable personal qualities, PET Vocabulary List - P, more... Synonyms: courteous, considerate, well-mannered, respectful, mannerly, more...