Definitions for courtesy
ˈkɜr tə si or, for 5 , ˈkɜrt sicour·tesy

Princeton's WordNet(3.25 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. courtesynoun

   a courteous or respectful or considerate act

2. courtesynoun

   a courteous or respectful or considerate remark

3. courtesy, good mannersnoun

   a courteous manner

Wiktionary(3.33 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. courtesynoun

   Polite behavior.

   Please extend them the courtesy of your presence.

2. courtesynoun

   A polite gesture or remark.

   I offered them a ride simply as a courtesy.

3. courtesynoun

   Consent or agreement in spite of fact; indulgence.

   They call this pond a lake by courtesy only.

4. courtesynoun

   Willingness or generosity in providing something needed.

   They received free advertising through the courtesy of the local newspaper.

5. courtesyadjective

   Given or done as a polite gesture.

   We paid a courtesy visit to the new neighbors.

6. courtesyadjective

   Free of charge.

   The event planners offered courtesy tickets for the reporters.

7. Etymology: From curtesie, from curtesie, from curteis, from cortois, from cortensis. \

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Courtesynoun

   Etymology: courtoisie, Fr. cortesia, Italian.

   1. Elegance of manners; civility; complaisance.

   Sir, you are very welcome to our house; It must appear in other ways than words,
   Therefore I scant this breathing courtesy. William Shakespeare, Merch. of Ven.

   Who have seen his estate, his hospitality, his courtesy to strangers. Henry Peacham.

   He, who was compounded of all the elements of affability and courtesy towards all kind of people, brought himself to a habit of neglect, and even of rudeness, towards the queen. Edward Hyde.

   So gentle of condition was he known,
   That through the court his courtesy was blown. John Dryden, Fab.

   2. An act of civility or respect.

   Fair sir, you spit on me last Wednesday;
   You spurn’d me such a day; another time
   You call’d me dog; and for these courtesies,
   I’ll lend you thus much money. William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice.

   Repose you there, while I to the hard house
   Return, and force their scanted courtesy. William Shakespeare, K. Lear.

   When I was last at Exeter,
   The mayor in courtesy shew’d me the castle. William Shakespeare, R. III.

   Sound all the lofty instruments of war,
   And by that musick let us all embrace;
   For heav’n to earth some of us never shall
   A second time do such a courtesy. William Shakespeare, Henry IV.

   Other states, assuredly, cannot be justly accused for not staying for the first blow; or for not accepting Polyphemus’s courtesy, to be the last that shall be eaten up. Francis Bacon.

   3. The reverence made by women.

   Some country girl, scarce to a court’sy bred,
   Would I much rather than Cornelia wed;
   If, supercilious, haughty, proud and vain,
   She brought her father’s triumphs in her train. John Dryden, Juven.

   The poor creature was as full of courtesies as if I had been her godmother: the truth on’t is, I endeavoured to make her look something Christian-like. William Congreve, Old Batchelor.

   4. A tenure, not of right, but by the favour of others; as, to hold upon courtesy.5. Courtesy of England.A tenure by which, if a man marry an inheritance, that is, a woman seised of land, and getteth a child of her that comes alive into the world, though both the child and his wife die forthwith; yet, if she were in possession, shall he keep the land during his life, and is called tenant per legem Angliæ, or by the courtesy of England. John Cowell

2. To Courtesyverb

   Etymology: from the noun.

   1. To perform an act of reverence.

   Toby approaches, and court’sies there to me. William Shakespeare.

   The petty traffickers,
   That court’sy to them, do them reverence. William Shakespeare.

   2. To make a reverence in the manner of ladies.

   If I should meet her in my way,
   We hardly court’sy to each other. Matthew Prior.

Wikipedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Courtesy

   Courtesy (from the word courteis, from the 12th century) is gentle politeness and courtly manners. In the Middle Ages in Europe, the behaviour expected of the nobility was compiled in courtesy books.

Webster Dictionary(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Courtesynoun

   politeness; civility; urbanity; courtliness

2. Courtesynoun

   an act of civility or respect; an act of kindness or favor performed with politeness

3. Courtesynoun

   favor or indulgence, as distinguished from right; as, a title given one by courtesy

4. Courtesynoun

   an act of civility, respect, or reverence, made by women, consisting of a slight depression or dropping of the body, with bending of the knees

5. Courtesyverb

   to make a respectful salutation or movement of respect; esp. (with reference to women), to bow the body slightly, with bending of the knes

6. Courtesyverb

   to treat with civility

7. Etymology: [See the preceding word.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Courtesy

   kort′e-si, or kurt′e-si, n. courtliness: elegance of manner: an act of civility or respect: a curtsy: (law) the life interest which the surviving husband has in the real or heritable estate of his wife.—v.i. to make a curtsy.—pr.p. court′esying; pa.p. court′esied.—n.pl. Court′esy-tī′tles, titles really invalid, but allowed by the usage of society—as to children of peers. [O. Fr. courtoisie.]

The Roycroft Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. courtesy

   1. The court clothes of any two-legged predatory animal. 2. The oil that makes a juggernaut noiseless.

Matched Categories

1. • Politeness
   • Remark

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'courtesy' in Nouns Frequency: #2833

Anagrams for courtesy »

1. cosurety

How to pronounce courtesy?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say courtesy in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of courtesy in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of courtesy in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of courtesy in a Sentence

1. Athena Athena:

   A tree is known by its fruit. A man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost, he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.

2. Edith Hamilton:

   Civilization...is a matter of imponderables, of delight in the thins of the mind, of love of beauty, of honor, grace, courtesy, delicate feeling. Where imponderables, are things of first importance, there is the height of civilization, and, if at the same time, the power of art exists unimpaired, human life has reached a level seldom attained and very seldom surpassed.

3. Mike Conaway:

   On Dana Rohrabacher and Wasserman-Schultz, that was just more professional courtesy and trying to protect future equities of asking members to come down and testify behind closed doors.

4. Evelyn Waugh:

   His courtesy was somewhat extravagant. He would write and thank people who wrote to thank him for wedding presents and when he encountered anyone as punctilious as himself the correspondence ended only with death.

5. Cassi Free:

   The CDC states online that gasoline-powered engines on boats, including onboard generators, produce carbon monoxide (CO), a colorless and odorless gas that can poison or kill someone who breathes too much of it. The generators on many boats vent toward the rear, meaning that someone sitting there can be put at risk for CO poisoning. Additionally, traveling at slow speeds or idling in the water can cause CO to build up in a boats cabin, cockpit, bridge, and aft deck, or in an open area. Wind from the aft section of the boat can increase this buildup of CO, per the CDC. Johnathan and Blake both required oxygen to bring down their CO levels. Blake has continued to have issues with memory and focus, while Johnathan has struggled with energy levels, Cassi said. CORONAVIRUS PEDIATRIC FATALITIES MOSTLY AMONG MINORITIES, THOSE WITH UNDERLYING CONDITIONS, CDC SAYS We thought it was due to the grief and had him in counseling, but we are now being told that grief may not be the only issue, Cassi said of her 15-year-old, noting that both boys are scheduled for MRIs and have a referral to begin sessions with a neuropsychiatrist to hopefully start a regimen that is supposed to help repair any damaged neurological connections. Moving forward has been hard for the Free family, with Cassi noting that she and Brett struggle daily. The joy has disappeared. Weve always been an active family, but we have little energy to do anything anymore. As I stand in these shoes, Ive realized that there are so many ways to notify people, other boaters, of the dangers, she said. The Free family had never heard of boats causing carbon monoxide poisoning before.  (Courtesy of Cassi Free) New boats may have less risk, but many new boats cost as much as a house. A Mastercraft X26 costs $165,000. So for those with a smaller budget, your risks can be exponentially higher, many, if not all, new boats have warnings stamped on them. Used boats do not. And people with new boats, those who are lucky enough to be privy to the few notifications that are made available, forget that a cared-for boat can last for decades- and that the lakes are full of boats that have the potential to backdraft lethal levels of CO into the back seating area.

Popularity rank by frequency of use