courtesy
noun
cour·te·sy
| \ ˈkər-tə-sē
, British also ˈkȯ-\
, British also ˈkȯ-\
plural courtesies
Definition of courtesy
(Entry 1 of 2)
b
: a courteous and respectful act or expression
2a
: general allowance despite facts : indulgence
hills called mountains by courtesy only
courtesy
adjective
cour·te·sy
| \ ˈkər-tə-sē
, British also ˈkȯ-\
, British also ˈkȯ-\
Definition of courtesy (Entry 2 of 2)
: granted, provided, or performed as a courtesy or by way of courtesy (see courtesy entry 1)
made a courtesy call on the ambassador
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Synonyms for courtesy
Synonyms: Noun
benevolence, boon, favor, grace, indulgence, kindness, mercy, service, turn
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Examples of courtesy in a Sentence
Noun
Civilized life cannot be sustained without hypocrisy. A certain moral code, a degree of courtesy and decorum, are necessary to keep our instincts under a modicum of control. — Ian Buruma, New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2006 Cara, who, courtesy of the cat, had a run in her leggings, picked up the phone in a panic … — Helen Schulman, Wigwag, November 1990 "Coffee, sir?" asked a sailor. I nodded, still chilled. The courtesy, the ordinariness of these men was in the context somehow curious. — Fred Reed, Harper's, September 1988 I tried to persuade him that all that Hamish Hamilton had attempted to do was to extend the kind of courtesies which cultural institutions thought to be his due. — Isaiah Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 12 Apr. 1987 They treated us with courtesy and kindness. She did it as a courtesy, not because she had to. Everyone knows each other here, so we won't bother with the usual courtesies. They shook hands and exchanged courtesies before beginning their discussion.Adjective
As the heir to an earldom, Stephen was obliged to pay a courtesy call on the British ambassador … — Ken Follett, The Man from St. Petersburg, 1982 Important visitors to the conference were provided with courtesy cars.Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
But a greenhouse gets its light, and much of its heat, free, courtesy of the sun. — The Economist, "New ways to make vertical farming stack up," 29 Aug. 2019 Villaseñor sees the divisiveness exported from the U.S. via cable news and talk radio courtesy of WIFI. — Dallas News, "Americans in Mexico watch uneasily as anti-Mexican rhetoric shows its face in the U.S.," 13 Aug. 2019 The day will feature a pregame catch on the field, player autographs and post game Kids Run the Bases courtesy of Dr. Larry Caldwell. — Houston Chronicle, "Fort Bend-area calendar of events," 12 Aug. 2019 Massages will be offered courtesy of Priv masseuses on the 5:30 p.m. train from West Palm Beach to Miami and the 5:40 p.m. train from Miami to West Palm Beach on Aug. 9, 16, 23. — Doreen Christensen, sun-sentinel.com, "Relax with a free massage on Brightline to celebrate spa months," 7 Aug. 2019 With its decadent food scene (courtesy of culinary giant Johnson and Wales University), walkability and rich, and interesting history of African American, Cape Verdean, Ghanaian, Italian and . — Crystal Whaley, Essence, "Did You Know Providence Rhode Island Is Full of Black History & Culture?," 6 Aug. 2019 In honor of their late dog, Jonas and Turner got matching tattoos courtesy of the artist Dragon at Bang Bang Tattoo in NYC. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Sophie Turner Vacations with Priyanka Chopra and a Brand New Puppy," 3 Aug. 2019 Get a free drink by riding your bike and using the bike valet service courtesy of Hometown Bikes. — Jordyn Noennig, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A craft beer garden is the newest addition to the ninth annual Urban Island Beach Party at Lakeshore Park," 29 July 2019 For a first-look from Legacy and The Queen (shared exclusively with PEOPLE and provided courtesy of Granity Studios, LLC), keep reading below: Legacy’s heart began to miss beats. — Melody Chiu, PEOPLE.com, "Get a First Look at Kobe Bryant's Upcoming Young Adult Novel Legacy and The Queen," 26 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Photos courtesy of Timeless Travel Trailers Here at Curbed we never tire of looking at Airstreams new and old. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Renovated vintage Airstream is like a chic apartment on wheels," 16 Aug. 2019 During the investigation, a rescue unit accidentally struck a courtesy patrol unit, Reyna said. — Dallas News, "Good Samaritan killed in crash on I-30 west of downtown Dallas," 29 July 2019 Canham is also due standard perks for prominent OSU head coaches, such as an automobile through the university’s courtesy car program, membership to Corvallis Country Club and tickets to Oregon State athletic events. — oregonlive.com, "Oregon State baseball coach Mitch Canham signs a five-year, $1.75 million contract," 24 July 2019 Increasing awareness around women’s health and hygiene, courtesy government initiatives and Bollywood movies like the Akshay Kumar-starrer PadMan, has given a boost to sales in smaller towns. — Sangeeta Tanwar, Quartz India, "Online shopping is redefining how small-town Indian women deal with their periods," 30 June 2019 You're used to hotels and courtesy cars and a certain sort of life on the road. — Jon Wertheim, SI.com, "What Makes Wimbledon 2019 Such a Unique Grand Slam? | Beyond the Baseline Podcast," 28 June 2019 Lilly Davis gave Male its first hit with one out in the fourth inning, and courtesy runner Jacklyn Zuege stole second and third. — Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, "Male softball team survives scare against Clay County, advances to state final," 15 June 2019 Aaron Young, Kitchen’s courtesy runner, eventually scored the winner on an error. — Paul Johnson, Elgin Courier-News, "'It's heartbreaking because I love this team': Egon Hein helps St. Charles North finish second in Class 4A," 10 June 2019 With two outs, Herbst walked and was replaced by courtesy runner Sydney McConnell. — Lewis Bagley, Indianapolis Star, "Center Grove softball adds state-best seventh title with 1-0 win over Leo," 8 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'courtesy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for courtesy
courtesy
noun
English Language Learners Definition of courtesy
(Entry 1 of 2)
: polite behavior that shows respect for other people
: something that you do because it is polite, kind, etc.
: something that you say to be polite especially when you meet someone
courtesy
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of courtesy (Entry 2 of 2)
: done in order to be polite
: provided for free
See the full definition for courtesy in the English Language Learners Dictionary