politesse

noun

Definition of politessenext
as in politeness

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of politesse Not to mention the politesse of the ball requires these small exchanges. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026 And indeed, by that time, there was little need for such politesse. — Charlie Tyson, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026 Even today, when people complain that much of the excitement of live bidding has disappeared, salesrooms at the major auction houses retain a singular atmosphere of politesse and extortion. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 Her social politesse transforms into a maternal fury and the air turns blue with inventive insults. — Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for politesse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for politesse
  1. politeness
  2. gentility
  3. civility
  4. etiquette
  5. graciousness
  6. courtesy
  7. decorum
  8. dignity
Noun
  • There’s a certain kind of gentility and politeness, and then on the flip side, dark humor and grotesquerie.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Is the nation’s vaunted politeness actually just passive-aggressiveness?
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of politeness
Noun
  • Neil Fuentes, a founder of the New Haven Academy of Performing Arts and the artistic director of Broadway on Main, brings an uncommon gentility and hearty spirit to the character of Murray the Cop.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
  • There’s a certain kind of gentility and politeness, and then on the flip side, dark humor and grotesquerie.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of gentility
Noun
  • The civility of the evening was evident to former Sacramento City Councilmember Jay Schenirer, who has been a member of Congregation B’nai Israel for more than 40 years.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Walking and chatting with the blind man seemed to me the best possible introduction to Toronto, its temper, its welcome, its civility.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of civility
Noun
  • And there would have been girls rebelling against social etiquette back then, like, there would now.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Now the older generation is scolding workers for having a different view on interview etiquette without recognizing the cold reality of today’s job market.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of etiquette
Noun
  • The service Staff are relaxed and friendly, and maintain a casual environment without skimping on graciousness.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
  • There’s a graciousness that runs through these evenings spent with their friends at dinners and happy hours before meals out, with each moment spent together as much a cause for celebration as the event itself.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of graciousness
Noun
  • The rest of the kitchen is pretty in pink, courtesy of a rosy Zia Tile backsplash and mosaic countertops by Concrete Collaborative.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Hell, even recurring characters drop off without so much as the courtesy of a sickening demise.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of courtesy
Noun
  • The blunderbuss of violations of the basic decorum and dignity of democracy have become such a daily matter that the increasingly familiar response is to sigh and surrender.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
  • However, her choice of a plainer variety for Monday’s festivities fit with the occasion’s decorum.
    — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of decorum
Noun
  • Elections give even the poorest Indians the prospect of dignity and agency, and as a result, voter turnout rates are routinely high.
    — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Loss of government’s dignity Whatever the crowd’s reaction that day, the public execution had already become an argument about the nature of government.
    — Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of dignity

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Cite this Entry

“Politesse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/politesse. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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