- [uncountable] polite behaviour that shows respect for other people synonym politeness
- I was treated with the utmost courtesy by the staff.
- We asked them, as a matter of courtesy, if we could photograph their house.
- It's only common courtesy to tell the neighbours that we'll be having a party (= the sort of behaviour that people would expect).
Extra Examples- He listened to all the complaints with great courtesy.
- It's a matter of courtesy to write and thank people after a party.
- It's common courtesy to warn your neighbours if your children are going to have a party.
- She contacts clients regularly as a professional courtesy.
- her unfailing courtesy to everyone
- He bowed his head with exaggerated courtesy.
- We asked them as a matter of courtesy.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- great
- unfailing
- utmost
- …
- do somebody
- have
- show
- …
- with courtesy
- courtesy to
- a matter of courtesy
- [countable, usually plural] (formal) a polite thing that you say or do when you meet people in formal situations
- an exchange of courtesies before the meeting
- The prime minister was welcomed with the usual courtesies.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French cortesie, from corteis, based on Latin cohors ‘yard, retinue’.
Idioms
See courtesy in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionarycourtesy of somebody/something
- (also by courtesy of somebody/something)with the official permission of somebody/something and as a favour
- The pictures have been reproduced by courtesy of the British Museum.
- given as a prize or provided free by a person or an organization
- Win a weekend in Rome, courtesy of Fiat.
- as the result of a particular thing or situation
- Viewers can see the stadium from the air, courtesy of a camera fastened to the plane.
do somebody the courtesy of doing something
- to be polite by doing the thing that is mentioned
- Please do me the courtesy of listening to what I'm saying.
- She might have done me the courtesy of replying to my letter.
have the courtesy to do something
- to know when you should do something in order to be polite
- You think he'd at least have the courtesy to call to say he'd be late.
- You could at least have had the courtesy to let me know.
Check pronunciation:
courtesy