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View synonyms for

courtesy

[kur-tuh-see, kurt-see]

noun

plural

courtesies 
  1. excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior.

    Her unfailing courtesy made her easy to work with.

    Synonyms: , ,
  2. a courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression.

  3. indulgence, consent, or acquiescence.

    He is a “colonel” by courtesy rather than by right.

  4. favor, help, or generosity.

    The costumes for the play were by courtesy of the local department store.

  5. a curtsy.



adjective

  1. done or performed as a matter of politeness or protocol.

    The council member paid a courtesy call on the mayor.

  2. offered or provided free by the management.

    While waiting to board the airplane, we were provided with courtesy coffee.

courtesy

/ ˈɜːɪɪ /

noun

  1. politeness; good manners

  2. a courteous gesture or remark

  3. favour or consent (esp in the phrase by courtesy of )

  4. common consent as opposed to right (esp in the phrase by courtesy ) See also courtesy title

  5. an archaic spelling of curtsy

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • overcourtesy noun
  • uncourtesy noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of courtesy1

First recorded in 1175–1225; from Middle English curteisie, from Anglo-French, from Old French; equivalent to courteous ( def. ) + -y 3 ( def. )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of courtesy1

C13 curteisie, from Old French, from corteis courteous
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. courtesy of, from or given by.

    This tip comes courtesy of our inside source.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The film comes courtesy of the softer side of Stephen King, adapted from a story in his 2020 collection of novellas, “If It Bleeds.”

From

The vivacity of the art form broke through the screen courtesy of Erivo’s capacity to blast through any barrier with her truthful virtuosity.

From

In a disappointing display against a team ranked 173rd in the world, England won courtesy of a solitary Kane goal after 50 minutes in Barcelona.

From

The incident began when Lowrey took a red Ford Focus courtesy vehicle without his family's permission.

From

“Our records show that on November 27th, 2023, our department received a phone report from a woman ... who gave a similar account. She was treated with courtesy and care,” the department stated.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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