polite
adjectiveverbcommon in dialogue
- //pəˈlaɪt//
Well-mannered, civilized.
adjective
- 1
Well-mannered, civilized.
It's not polite to use a mobile phone in a restaurant.
Try and be polite to Auntie Maria for once.
He marries, bows at court, and grows polite.
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.
- 2
obsoleteSmooth, polished, burnished.
rays of light […]falling on […]a polite surface
Etymology
From Latin polītus (“polished”), past participle of poliō (“to polish, smooth”); see polish.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo polish; to refine; to render polite.
those exercises plied, which polite men's spirits
Forms
- comparative
- politer, more polite
- superlative
- politest, most polite
- past tense
- polited
- past participle
- polited
- present participle
- politing
- third person singular
- polites
polite · Well-mannered, civilized.
Polite · A surname.politely · in a polite mannerpolitical · Concerning or relating to politics, the art and process of…