courteous
adjective
cour·te·ous
ˈkər-tē-əs 
British also ˈkȯ-
1
: marked by polished manners, gallantry, or ceremonial usage of a court
2
: marked by respect for and consideration of others
courteously
adverb
courteousness
noun
Examples of courteous in a Sentence
There was no doubt that his stubbornly held and trenchantly expressed views—his trenchancy always tempered, however, by his gently courteous manner—contributed significantly to his unpopularity …
—
Simon Winchester, The Man Who Loved China, 2008
… she has seen generations of boys come and go, some well groomed and courteous, others rough and uppity …
—Julian Barnes, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 1990
He joined us in the Yellow Room with … his son, a thoughtful, courteous, nice doctor …
—Lady Bird Johnson 27 May 1964,
in A White House Diary, 1970
The clerks were helpful and courteous.
their customer service department always gives courteous responses, even to rude people
Simon Winchester, The Man Who Loved China, 2008
… she has seen generations of boys come and go, some well groomed and courteous, others rough and uppity …
—Julian Barnes, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 1990
He joined us in the Yellow Room with … his son, a thoughtful, courteous, nice doctor …
—Lady Bird Johnson 27 May 1964,
in A White House Diary, 1970
The clerks were helpful and courteous.
their customer service department always gives courteous responses, even to rude people
Recent Examples on the Web
To help care for Park City, practice good trail etiquette by leaving no trace on the trails (staying on marked trails and packing up your garbage), being courteous of other hikers and mountain bikers, and never taking items like rocks or plants from the trail.
—AFAR Media, 7 July 2025
Though these Hongdae men try to push buttons, Sean Solo’s videos always emphasize how normal Korean men act as well, which is pretty courteous and nice in comparison.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 5 June 2025
Giving notice of a full calendar month is both courteous and a way to protect your security deposit.
—Jill Terreri Ramos, New York Times, 17 May 2025
As mentioned, this is a very popular trail, especially on the weekends, so try to be courteous and share the trail with other hikers.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for courteous
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AFAR Media, 7 July 2025
Though these Hongdae men try to push buttons, Sean Solo’s videos always emphasize how normal Korean men act as well, which is pretty courteous and nice in comparison.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 5 June 2025
Giving notice of a full calendar month is both courteous and a way to protect your security deposit.
—Jill Terreri Ramos, New York Times, 17 May 2025
As mentioned, this is a very popular trail, especially on the weekends, so try to be courteous and share the trail with other hikers.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for courteous
Cite this Entry
“Courteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courteous. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
courteous
adjective
cour·te·ous
ˈkərt-ē-əs
1
: marked by good manners suitable to a court
2
: marked by respect for and consideration of others
courteously
adverb
courteousness
noun
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