Standard Lemma guide

civility

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /sɪˈvɪl.ɪ.ti/ without t-flapping
  • [sɪˈvɪl.ɪ.thɪi̯] without t-flapping
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /sɪˈvɪl.ɪ.ɾi/ t-flapping
  • [sɪˈvɪl.ɪ.ɾɪi̯] t-flapping
  • CMU ARPABET: S AH0 V IH1 L AH0 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Speech or behaviour that is fit for civil interactions; politeness, courtesy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • December 1749 Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, letter to his son The insolent civility of a proud man is, if possible, more shocking than his rudeness could be.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An individual act or expression of polite behaviour; a courtesy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, in-plural, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The state or fact of being civilized; civilization.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A civil office; a civil capacity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the act of showing regard for others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: politeness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: action

Narrower terms: courtesy, deference, respect, devoir

6

noun

Meaning 6

formal or perfunctory politeness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: incivility

Broader terms: courtesy, good manners

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin civilitas: compare French civilité. English equivalent civil + -ity.

Across languages

Translations

45 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَدَب (ʔadab) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Bengali: আদব (adob) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Bengali: নাজাকত (nazakôt) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Bulgarian: вежливост (vežlivost) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Bulgarian: учтивост (učtivost) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Catalan: civisme — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Catalan: civilitat — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Chinese Mandarin: 文明 (wénmíng) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Chinese Mandarin: 素質 /素质 (sùzhì) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Esperanto: dececo — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Esperanto: civitismo — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Esperanto: ĝentileco — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Finnish: kohteliaisuus — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • French: politesse — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Galician: civismo — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Galician: civilidade — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • German: Anstand — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • German: Höflichkeit — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • German: Verbindlichkeit — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Irish: sibhialtacht — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Italian: civiltà — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Latin: civilitas — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Manx: ard-veenid — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Persian: نزاکت (nezâkat) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Portuguese: civilidade — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Romanian: civilitate — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Romanian: politețe — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Romanian: curtenie — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Russian: ве́жливость (véžlivostʹ) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Russian: учти́вость (učtívostʹ) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Russian: любе́зность (ljubéznostʹ) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Scottish Gaelic: modh — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Serbo-Croatian: култу́ра — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Serbo-Croatian: културност — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Serbo-Croatian: kultúra — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Serbo-Croatian: kulturnost — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Spanish: civismo — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Spanish: civilidad — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Spanish: urbanidad — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Thai: ความสุภาพ (kwaam-sù-pâap) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Turkish: edep — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Turkish: incelik — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Turkish: kibarlık — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Turkish: nezaket — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions
  • Ottoman Turkish: نازكلك (nâziklik) — politeness; behavior which conforms to social conventions