politeness
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She didn't usually drink coffee but when the interviewer, a senior civil servant called Christian Nègre, offered her one, she agreed out of politeness.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
There is a kind of professional politeness that demands we discuss each case in isolation so no one has to say aloud what the cumulative pattern reveals.
From Slate ● May 8, 2026
And too often we disdain politeness as phony rather than respect it as the tribute that vice pays to virtue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
Out of politeness, you extend this assumption even if you’ve seen the teller sprint for the sofa at family gatherings when the time comes to clear the table or grab a broom.
From Salon ● Jan. 14, 2026
Her arm was much thinner and lighter than his mother’s and Pierrot began to sob, but quietly, still mindful of being in a strange house where politeness was all.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
