polite meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

polite

adj

/pəˈlaɪt/

Etymology From Latin polītus (“polished”), past participle of poliō (“to polish, smooth”); see polish.

Well-mannered, civilized.

2 more examples

He marries, bows at court, and grows polite.1733, Alexander Pope, Epistle to Bathurst:
I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter IV, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:

Obsolete Smooth, polished, burnished.

rays of light […]falling on […]a polite surface1704, I[saac] N[ewton], “(please specify |book=1 to 3)”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith, and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC:

Synonyms: civil, civilized, complaisant, correct, courteous, cultivated, fair-mannered, genteel, mannerly, polished, polite, politic, reasonable, refined, urbane, well-behaved, well-mannered, well-bred
Antonyms: impolite, rude, bad-mannered, ill-mannered
Derived terms: nonpolite, overpolite, over-polite, polite fiction, politeful, polite literature, politely, politeness, polite notice, polite society, politesome, superpolite, unpolite
Related terms: polish, friendly, kindly
Hypernyms: valid
Hyponyms: chivalrous, gallant, gentlemanlike, gentlemanly, respectful

verb

Etymology From Latin polītus (“polished”), past participle of poliō (“to polish, smooth”); see polish.

Obsolete To polish; to refine; to render polite.

those exercises plied, which polite men's spirits1691, John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. […], London: […] Samuel Smith, […], →OCLC: