polite and gracious; considerate toward others; well-mannered
Origin of courteous
Middle English courteis from Old French corteis from court: see court and -eous
adjective
The definition of courteous is a polite and considerate person.
An example of courteous is someone letting a pregnant woman go ahead of them in line for the restroom.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"courteous." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 October 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/courteous>.
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courteous. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11th, 2018, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/courteous
courteous
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"courteous." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 October 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/courteous>.
APA Style
courteous. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11th, 2018, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/courteous
courteous
adjective
Characterized by gracious consideration toward others. See Synonyms at polite.
Origin of courteous
Middle English corteis courtly from Old French from cort court ; see court .Related Forms:
- cour′te·ous·ly
adverb
- cour′te·ous·ness
noun
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"courteous." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 October 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/courteous>.
APA Style
courteous. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11th, 2018, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/courteous
Adjective
(comparative more courteous, superlative most courteous)
Anagrams
Origin
From Old French curteis (French courtois), from cort (“court”), displaced native Old English hende (“courteous, gracious, friendly”).
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"courteous." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 October 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/courteous>.
APA Style
courteous. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11th, 2018, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/courteous
Sentence Examples
- At best, Alex would be courteous to him.
- The courteous ideal of French chivalry, with its delectable language, was adopted by all seigniorial Europe, which thus became animated, as it were, by the life-blood of France.
- According to Strabo he was a courteous man and in many ways useful to the Jews.
- Panin was one of the most learned, accomplished and courteous Russians of his day.
- Ridiculous to describe the idle and courteous voluptuary as being a dark and designing scoundrel, capable of murder if it would serve his ambition.
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Words near courteous in the dictionary
- courteous
- courteously
- courteousness
- courtepies