courtesy

English

Etymology

From Middle English curteisie, curtesie, from Anglo-Norman curtesie, from Old French curteisie, cortoisie. Equivalent to courteous +‎ -y (abstract noun suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɜːtəsi/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɝtəsi/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: cour‧te‧sy

Noun

courtesy (countable and uncountable, plural courtesies)

1. (uncountable) Polite behavior.

   Please extend them the courtesy of your presence.

   He was always known for his grace, kindness, and courtesy to people of every rank.

2. (countable) A polite gesture or remark, especially as opposed to an obligation or standard practice.

   I offered them a ride simply as a courtesy.

   • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

     My lord, for your many courtesies I thank you.

3. (uncountable) Consent or agreement in spite of fact; indulgence.

   They call this pond a lake by courtesy only.

4. (uncountable) Willingness or generosity in providing something needed.

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

   [on a label, caption, etc.] Courtesy the Smith Foundation: [e.g.] use of this image was allowed through the courtesy of the Smith Foundation.

5. A curtsey.
   • 1760, Oliver Goldsmith, The Citizen of the World

     The lady drops a courtesy in token of obedience, and the ceremony proceeds as usual.

   • 1868, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, “Amy’s Will”, in Little Women: Or, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, (please specify |part=1 or 2), Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC, page 284:

     [I]t was her favorite amusement to array herself in the faded brocades, and parade up and down before the long mirror, making stately courtesies, and sweeping her train about, with a rustle which delighted her ears.

6. (law) The life interest that the surviving husband has in the real or heritable estate of his wife.

Derived terms

• courtesy call
• courtesy card
• courtesy clerk
• courtesy copy
• courtesy flag
• courtesy flush
• courtesy light
• courtesy name
• courtesy of
• courtesy title
• curtsey
• extend the courtesy
• kill-courtesy
• strain courtesy

 

Translations

polite behavior

• Afrikaans: beleefdheid
• Arabic: أَدَب‎ (ar) m (ʔadab), مَجَامَلَة‎ f (majāmala)
• Armenian: քաղաքավարություն (hy) (kʿałakʿavarutʿyun), բարեկրթություն (hy) (barekrtʿutʿyun)
• Bulgarian: учти́вост (bg) f (učtívost), ве́жливост (bg) f (véžlivost)
• Burmese: လောကဝတ် (my) (lau:ka.wat)
• Catalan: cortesia (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 禮貌／礼貌 (zh) (lǐmào), 禮節／礼节 (zh) (lǐjié)

• Dutch: hoffelijkheid (nl) f
• Finnish: kohteliaisuus (fi)
• French: courtoisie (fr) f
• Galician: cortesía (gl) f
• Georgian: ზრდილობიანობა (zrdilobianoba)
• German: Höflichkeit (de) f
• Greek: αβροφροσύνη (el) f (avrofrosýni), αβρότητα (el) (avrótita)
• Hebrew: אדיבות‎ (he) f (adivut)
• Hindi: सुशीलता (hi) (suśīltā)
• Hungarian: udvariasság (hu)
• Italian: cortesia (it) f
• Japanese: 愛想 (ja) (あいそ, aiso), 礼儀 (ja) (れいぎ, reigi)
• Kazakh: көргенділік (körgendılık)
• Korean: 예의(禮儀) (ko) (yeui)
• Latin: cōmitās
• Manx: cooyrtoilid
• Maori: atawhaitanga
• Middle English: curteisie
• Mongolian: найрсаг зан (najrsag zan)
• Polish: kurtuazja (pl) f
• Portuguese: cortesia (pt) f
• Russian: ве́жливость (ru) f (véžlivostʹ), учти́вость (ru) f (učtívostʹ), обходи́тельность (ru) f (obxodítelʹnostʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: modh m or f
• Sicilian: curtisia f
• Spanish: cortesía (es) f
• Swedish: hövlighet (sv) c
• Vietnamese: sự lịch sự (vi), sự nhã nhặn (vi)

polite gesture or remark

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 禮儀／礼仪 (zh) (lǐyí)

• Finnish: kohteliaisuus (fi)
• French: politesse (fr) f
• German: Höflichkeit (de) f
• Greek: αβρότητα (el) f (avrótita)
• Italian: cortesia (it) f
• Middle English: curteisie
• Portuguese: cortesia (pt) f
• Russian: ве́жливость (ru) f (véžlivostʹ)
• Swedish: hövlighet (sv) c

consent or agreement in spite of fact; indulgence

• Bulgarian: снизхожде́ние (bg) n (snizhoždénie)
• Finnish: kohteliaisuus (fi)
• French: indulgence (fr) f
• Italian: cortesia (it) f
• Portuguese: indulgência (pt) f
• Russian: снисхожде́ние (ru) n (snisxoždénije)
• Swedish: hövlighet (sv) c

willingness or generosity in providing something needed

• Finnish: anteliaisuus (fi)
• Hebrew: אדיבות‎ (he) f (adivut)
• Maori: atawhaitanga
• Portuguese: cortesia (pt) f

Verb

courtesy (third-person singular simple present courtesies, present participle courtesying, simple past and past participle courtesied)

1. Alternative form of curtsey

Adjective

courtesy (not comparable) (used only before the noun)

1. Given or done as a polite gesture.

   We paid a courtesy visit to the new neighbors.

2. Supplied free of charge.

   Synonyms: complimentary, free of charge, gratis

   The event planners offered courtesy tickets for the reporters.

Translations

given or done as a polite gesture

• Dutch: beleefdheids-, hoffelijkheid (nl) f
• Finnish: kohteliaisuus-
• Italian: di cortesia f
• Portuguese: de cortesia
• Spanish: de cortesía
• Swedish: hövlighets-

free of charge

• Finnish: ilmainen (fi)
• Portuguese: grátis (pt)
• Russian: беспла́тный (ru) (besplátnyj)
• Spanish: de cortesía

Anagrams

• cosurety, courtsey