polite
adjective
Simple meaning
Behaving and speaking kindly and with good manners.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
puhlytSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
pəˈlaɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Well-mannered, civilized.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Word Aura is being prepared for this meaning.
More ways to use polite
- “It's always polite to say 'please' and 'thank you' when asking for something.”adjective
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Rude
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
A leader engaged in civil administration.
The form of government of a social organization.
A courteous manner that respects accepted social usage.
Involving or characteristic of politics or parties or politicians.
Marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness.
With regard to social relationships involving authority.
In a polite manner.
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Related Learning
Guides that use this word in context.
Guides
How to Ask for Help Without Sounding Demanding
Learn the difference between direct, casual, polite and professional requests in English, can vs. could vs. would, please placement, tone, urgency, and what to say to friends, coworkers, managers and customer service.
Word Differences
Sorry vs. Excuse Me vs. Pardon Me: What’s the Difference?
Learn the difference between “sorry,” “excuse me,” and “pardon me,” including when to apologize, interrupt, get someone’s attention, move past someone, or ask them to repeat themselves.
Guides
How to Tell If a Word Sounds Rude, Polite, or Neutral
Cheap, inexpensive and affordable can describe the same price and still say different things. A practical guide to connotation: how tone, context and word choice make you sound rude, polite or neutral.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.