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politesse

American  
[pol-i-tes, paw-lee-tes] / ˌpɒl ɪˈtɛs, pɔ liˈtɛs /

noun

  1. formal politeness; courtesy.

politesse British  
/ ˌpɒlɪˈtɛs /

noun

  1. formal or genteel politeness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of politesse

1710–20; < French: originally clean or polished state < Italian politezza, variant of pulitezza (derivative of polito polite )

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.