Standard Lemma guide

courteously

adv · 2 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

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1

adv

Meaning 1

In a courteous manner; with obliging civility or condescension; politely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

in a polite manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the policeman answered politely, `Now look here, lady...'

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: politely

Antonyms: discourteously

History

Etymology

From Middle English curteisly, curteisliche; equivalent to courteous + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: cortesament — in a courteous manner
  • Czech: zdvořile — in a courteous manner
  • French: courtoisement — in a courteous manner
  • Hindi: सविनय (savinay) — in a courteous manner
  • Hungarian: udvariasan — in a courteous manner
  • Italian: cortesemente — in a courteous manner
  • Middle English: curteisly — in a courteous manner
  • Norman: courtouaisement — in a courteous manner
  • Polish: uprzejmie — in a courteous manner
  • Polish: grzecznie — in a courteous manner
  • Romanian: curtenitor — in a courteous manner
  • Romanian: politicos — in a courteous manner
  • Romanian: cavalerește — in a courteous manner
  • Russian: ве́жливо (véžlivo) — in a courteous manner
  • Russian: обходи́тельно (obxodítelʹno) — in a courteous manner
  • Russian: учти́во (učtívo) — in a courteous manner
  • Russian: любе́зно (ljubézno) — in a courteous manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: при́сто̄јно — in a courteous manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: prístōjno — in a courteous manner
  • Spanish: cortésmente — in a courteous manner
  • Swedish: artigt — in a courteous manner
  • Telugu: మర్యాదగా (maryādagā) — in a courteous manner
  • Ukrainian: вві́чливо (vvíčlyvo) — in a courteous manner