Civility

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /sɪˈvɪl.ɪ.ti/

Definitions

1. The quality of showing polite and respectful behavior toward others
2. A manner of acting that reflects consideration and courteousness in social interactions
3. The practice of treating people with kindness, politeness, and respect in communication

Etymology: Civility descends from the Latin "civis," meaning citizen, and the idea behind it is that polite behaviour is the conduct expected of a member of a community. The Roman "civilitas" carried that sense of civic life, and the English word took over the Latin form largely intact, so the courtesy sense grew out of a notion of how people should behave together in a city rather than out of any personal temperament. English builds the noun from "civil," itself borrowed from Latin "civilis," with the suffix "-ity" added to form an abstract quality. The French "civilité" follows the same pattern, and the two words developed in parallel, which is why the English noun looks so much like its French counterpart.

Synonyms: courtesy, politeness, manners, decorum, respect

Antonyms: incivility, rudeness, impoliteness, disrespect, insolence