civility

noun

ci·​vil·​i·​ty sə-ˈvi-lə-tē How to pronounce civility (audio)
plural civilities
1
a
: civilized conduct
especially : courtesy, politeness
bemoaned the decline of civility in our politics
b
: a polite act or expression
lacked the little civilities and hypocrisies of political societyRoy Jenkins
The men briefly exchanged civilities before the meeting began.
2
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.
The trouble is, especially in the DOGE era, the guys who the film aims to indict have no masks of civility left to tear off. Judy Berman, Time, 23 May 2025 That is the beauty of civility and mutual respect for all people. Jerry Haag, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025 Today, in politics, civility has reached new lows — to the detriment of our citizens. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2025 But for each other, there was a professional civility and nothing more. Jimmy Golen, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for civility

Word History

Etymology

see civil

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of civility was in 1533

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Civility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civility. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

civility

noun
ci·​vil·​i·​ty sə-ˈvil-ət-ē How to pronounce civility (audio)
plural civilities
1
: civilized conduct
2
: a polite act or expression

More from Merriam-Webster on civility

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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