POLITELY

politely, courteously

(adverb) in a polite manner; “the policeman answered politely, ‘Now look here, lady...’”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adverb

politely (comparative more politely, superlative most politely)

in a polite manner

Source: Wiktionary


Po*lite"ly, adv.

1. In a polished manner; so as to be smooth or glossy. [Obs.] Milton.

2. In a polite manner; with politeness.

POLITE

Po*lite", a. [Compar. Politer; superl. Politest.] Etym: [L. politus, p. p. of polire to polish: cf. F. poli. See Polish, v.]

1. Smooth; polished. [Obs.] Rays of light falling on a polite surface. Sir I. Newton.

2. Smooth and refined in behavior or manners; well bred; courteous; complaisant; obliging; civil. He marries, bows at court, and grows polite. Pope.

3. Characterized by refinement, or a high degree of finish; as, polite literature. Macaulay.

Syn.

– Polished; refined; well bred; courteous; affable; urbane; civil; courtly; elegant; genteel.

Po*lite", v. t.

Definition: To polish; to refine; to render polite. [Obs.] Ray.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

28 April 2024

POLYGENIC

(adjective) of or relating to an inheritable character that is controlled by several genes at once; of or related to or determined by polygenes


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Coffee Trivia

The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch “koffie,” borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish “kahve,” borrowed in turn from the Arabic “qahwah.” The Arabic word qahwah was traditionally held to refer to a type of wine.

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