courtesy

[ kur-tuh-see kurt-see ]

noun

, plural cour·te·sies.

1. excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior:

   Her unfailing courtesy made her easy to work with.

   Synonyms: courteousness, urbanity, civility

2. a courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression.
3. indulgence, consent, or acquiescence:

   He is a “colonel” by courtesy rather than by right.

4. favor, help, or generosity:

   The costumes for the play were by courtesy of the local department store.

5. a curtsy.

adjective

1. done or performed as a matter of politeness or protocol:

   The council member paid a courtesy call on the mayor.

2. offered or provided free by the management:

   While waiting to board the airplane, we were provided with courtesy coffee.

courtesy

/ ˈkɜːtɪsɪ /

noun

1. politeness; good manners
2. a courteous gesture or remark
3. favour or consent (esp in the phrase by courtesy of )
4. common consent as opposed to right (esp in the phrase by courtesy ) See also courtesy title
5. ˈkɜːtsɪ an archaic spelling of curtsy

Other Words From

• o·ver·cour·te·sy noun
• un·cour·te·sy noun plural uncourtesies

Word History and Origins

Origin of courtesy¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; from Middle English curteisie, from Anglo-French, from Old French; equivalent to courteous ( def ) + -y ³( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of courtesy¹

C13 curteisie, from Old French, from corteis courteous

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. courtesy of, from or given by:

   This tip comes courtesy of our inside source.

Example Sentences

The 12th century “Stavelot Retable,” loaned by Paris’ Cluny Museum, shows the Christian Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the 12 apostles, courtesy of beams of light radiating from above.

From Los Angeles Times

While in Pyongyang the Russian environment minister also paid a courtesy visit to Kim.

From BBC

Of course, Biden was not afforded that courtesy by Trump and his attempted coup on Jan. 6.

From Salon

With a deluxe new remix courtesy of engineer Paul Hicks and Harrison’s son Dhani, "Living in the Material World" has finally been burnished for our new millennium.

From Salon

His first winning streak came courtesy of back-to-back triumphs over Rutgers and Nebraska as part of a brutal travel schedule in which the Bruins will log an estimated 22,048 miles.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• civility
• deference
• generosity
• kindness
• reverence
• sympathy