Adjacent Words

Courtesy definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

COURTESY, n.
1. Elegance or politeness of manners; especially, politeness connected with kindness; civility; complaisance; as, the gentleman shows great courtesy to strangers; he treats his friends with great courtesy.
2. An act of civility or respect; an act of kindness or favor performed with politeness.
3. The act of civility, respect or reverence, performed by a woman; a fall or inclination of the body, corresponding in design to the bow of a gentleman.
4. A favor; as, to hold upon courtesy, that is, not of right, but by indulgence.
Tenure by courtesy or curtesy, is where a man marries a woman seized of an estate of inheritance, and has by her issue born alive, which was capable of inheriting her estate; in this case, on the death of his wife, he holds the lands for his life, as tenant by curtesy.
COURTESY, v.i. To perform an act of civiility, respect or reverence, as a woman. Note. This word was formerly applied to the other sex; but is now used only of the acts of reverence or civility, performed by women.
COURTESY, v.t. To treat with civility. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a courteous or respectful or considerate act
2: a courteous or respectful or considerate remark
3: a courteous manner [syn: courtesy, good manners] [ant: discourtesy, rudeness]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural -sies) Etymology: Middle English corteisie, from Anglo-French curteisie, from curteis Date: 13th century 1. a. courteous behavior b. a courteous act or expression 2. a. general allowance despite facts ; indulgence <hills called mountains by courtesy only> b. consideration, cooperation, and generosity in providing something (as a gift or privilege); also agency, means — used chiefly in the phrases through the courtesy of or by courtesy of or sometimes simply courtesy of II. adjective Date: 1613 granted, provided, or performed as a courtesy or by way of courtesy <made a courtesy call on the ambassador>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 courteous behaviour; good manners. 2 a courteous act. 3 archaic = CURTSY. Phrases and idioms: by courtesy by favour, not by right. by courtesy of with the formal permission of (a person etc.). courtesy light a light in a car that is switched on by opening a door. courtesy title a title held by courtesy, usu. having no legal validity, e.g. a title given to the heir of a duke etc. Etymology: ME f. OF curtesie, co(u)rtesie f. curteis etc. COURTEOUS

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Courtesy Courte"sy (k[^u]rt"s[y^]), n. [See the preceding word.] An act of civility, respect, or reverence, made by women, consisting of a slight depression or dropping of the body, with bending of the knees. [Written also curtsy.] The lady drops a courtesy in token of obedience, and the ceremony proceeds as usual. --Golgsmith.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Courtesy Courte"sy, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Courtesied (-s[i^]d); p. pr. & vb. n. Courtesying.] To make a respectful salutation or movement of respect; esp. (with reference to women), to bow the body slightly, with bending of the knes.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Courtesy Cour"te*sy (k?r"t?-s?), n.; pl. Courtesies (-s?z). [OE. cortaisie, corteisie, courtesie, OF. curteisie, cortoisie, OF. curteisie, cortoisie, F. courtoisie, fr. curteis, corteis. See Courteous.] 1. Politeness; civility; urbanity; courtliness. And trust thy honest-offered courtesy, With oft is sooner found in lowly sheds, With smoky rafters, than in tapestry walls And courts of princes, where it first was named, And yet is most pretended. --Milton. Pardon me, Messer Claudio, if once more I use the ancient courtesies of speech. --Longfellow. 2. An act of civility or respect; an act of kindness or favor performed with politeness. My lord, for your many courtesies I thank you. --Shak. 3. Favor or indulgence, as distinguished from right; as, a title given one by courtesy. Courtesy title, a title assumed by a person, or popularly conceded to him, to which he has no valid claim; as, the courtesy title of Lord prefixed to the names of the younger sons of noblemen. Syn: Politiness; urbanity; civility; complaisance; affability; courteousness; elegance; refinement; courtliness; good breeding. See Politeness.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Courtesy Courte"sy, v. t. To treat with civility. [Obs.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(courtesies) 1. Courtesy is politeness, respect, and consideration for others. (FORMAL) ...a gentleman who behaves with the utmost courtesy towards ladies... He did not even have the courtesy to reply to my fax. = politeness 2. If you refer to the courtesy of doing something, you are referring to a polite action. (FORMAL) By extending the courtesy of a phone call to my clients, I was building a personal relationship with them... N-SING: usu the N of -ing/n 3. Courtesies are polite, conventional things that people say in formal situations. (FORMAL) N-COUNT: usu pl 4. Courtesy is used to describe services that are provided free of charge by an organization to its customers, or to the general public. A courtesy shuttle bus operates between the hotel and the town. ...a courtesy phone. ADJ: ADJ n 5. A courtesy call or a courtesy visit is a formal visit that you pay someone as a way of showing them politeness or respect. The President paid a courtesy call on Emperor Akihito. ADJ: ADJ n 6. A courtesy title is a title that someone is allowed to use, although it has no legal or official status. Both were accorded the courtesy title of Lady... N-UNCOUNT: N n, by N 7. If something is provided courtesy of someone or by courtesy of someone, they provide it. You often use this expression in order to thank them. The waitress brings over some congratulatory glasses of champagne, courtesy of the restaurant... PREP-PHRASE 8. If you say that one thing happens courtesy of another or by courtesy of another, you mean that the second thing causes or is responsible for the first thing. The air was fresh, courtesy of three holes in the roof... As millions will have seen, by courtesy of the slow motion re-runs, the referee made a mistake. PREP-PHRASE

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Politeness, courteousness, civility, urbanity, complaisance, affability, good-breeding, elegance of manners. II. v. n. Make a courtesy.

Moby Thesaurus

act of courtesy, act of grace, act of kindness, admiration, adoration, affability, amenity, amiability, apotheosis, appreciation, approbation, approval, attention, attentiveness, awe, benefaction, benefit, benevolence, benignity, blessing, breathless adoration, ceremony, chivalry, civility, clubbability, clubbishness, clubbism, comity, communicativeness, companionability, compatibility, complaisance, congeniality, considerateness, consideration, cordiality, correct deportment, courteousness, courtliness, deference, deification, discourtesy, dispensation, duty, elegance, esteem, estimation, etiquette, exaggerated respect, familiarity, favor, fondness for society, formality, friendliness, gallantry, geniality, good behavior, good citizenship, good deed, good manners, good offices, good turn, grace, graceful gesture, graciousness, great respect, gregariousness, hero worship, high regard, homage, honor, hospitality, idolatry, idolization, indulgence, intimacy, kind deed, kind offices, kindly act, kindness, labor of love, mercy, misbehavior, mitzvah, obligation, office, polite act, politeness, politesse, poor behavior, prestige, regard, respect, respectfulness, reverence, reverential regard, sanctioned behavior, service, sociability, sociableness, social grace, sociality, thoughtfulness, turn, urbanity, veneration, worship