civility
noun
ci·vil·i·ty
sə-ˈvi-lə-tē 
plural civilities
1
a
: civilized conduct
b
: a polite act or expression
lacked the little civilities and hypocrisies of political society—
Roy Jenkins
Roy JenkinsThe men briefly exchanged civilities before the meeting began.
2
archaic
: training in the humanities
Synonyms
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
This means not only a safe plane, but a safe cabin where everyone conducts themselves with civility....
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
What can people do to spread more civility rather than feeling helpless?
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2025
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
See all Example Sentences for civility 
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Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
What can people do to spread more civility rather than feeling helpless?
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2025
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
See all Example Sentences for civility
Articles Related to civility
Dictionary Entries Near civility
Cite this Entry
“Civility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civility. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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civility
noun
ci·vil·i·ty
sə-ˈvil-ət-ē
plural civilities
1
: civilized conduct
especially
: courtesy sense 1, politeness
2
: a polite act or expression
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