civilities

Definition of civilitiesnext
plural of civility
as in courtesies
an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners after the usual civilities, the parents and the principal had a serious talk about the boy

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for civilities
Noun
  • Small courtesies keep big efforts moving forward.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
  • With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, and catechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.
    Simon Akam, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • This includes the importance of gestures such as going to retrieve from the family casket a pin that reproduces the British and American flags together, as well as those that actually fly on the streets of Washington.
    Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The high five is one of the most universal gestures in sports.
    Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Civilities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civilities. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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