cour·te·sy
ˈkər-tə-sē 
British also ˈkȯ-
plural courtesies
1
2
a
: general allowance despite facts : indulgence
hills called mountains by courtesy only
cour·te·sy
ˈkər-tə-sē
British also ˈkȯ-
: granted, provided, or performed as a courtesy or by way of courtesy (see courtesy entry 1)
made a courtesy call on the ambassador
Synonyms
Examples of courtesy in a Sentence
Noun
Civilized life cannot be sustained without hypocrisy. A certain moral code, a degree of courtesy and decorum, are necessary to keep our instincts under a modicum of control.
—
Ian Buruma, New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2006
Cara, who, courtesy of the cat, had a run in her leggings, picked up the phone in a panic …
—Helen Schulman, Wigwag, November 1990
"Coffee, sir?" asked a sailor. I nodded, still chilled. The courtesy, the ordinariness of these men was in the context somehow curious.
—Fred Reed, Harper's, September 1988
I tried to persuade him that all that Hamish Hamilton had attempted to do was to extend the kind of courtesies which cultural institutions thought to be his due.
—Isaiah Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 12 Apr. 1987
They treated us with courtesy and kindness.
She did it as a courtesy, not because she had to.
Everyone knows each other here, so we won't bother with the usual courtesies.
They shook hands and exchanged courtesies before beginning their discussion.
Adjective
As the heir to an earldom, Stephen was obliged to pay a courtesy call on the British ambassador …
—Ken Follett, The Man from St. Petersburg, 1982
Important visitors to the conference were provided with courtesy cars.
Ian Buruma, New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2006
Cara, who, courtesy of the cat, had a run in her leggings, picked up the phone in a panic …
—Helen Schulman, Wigwag, November 1990
"Coffee, sir?" asked a sailor. I nodded, still chilled. The courtesy, the ordinariness of these men was in the context somehow curious.
—Fred Reed, Harper's, September 1988
I tried to persuade him that all that Hamish Hamilton had attempted to do was to extend the kind of courtesies which cultural institutions thought to be his due.
—Isaiah Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 12 Apr. 1987
They treated us with courtesy and kindness.
She did it as a courtesy, not because she had to.
Everyone knows each other here, so we won't bother with the usual courtesies.
They shook hands and exchanged courtesies before beginning their discussion.
Adjective
As the heir to an earldom, Stephen was obliged to pay a courtesy call on the British ambassador …
—Ken Follett, The Man from St. Petersburg, 1982
Important visitors to the conference were provided with courtesy cars.
Recent Examples on the Web
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 13 Nov. 2024
Whatever was going on inside fell far short of the perks being offered outside, like cinnamon buns courtesy of trendy Buns From Home, lattes from Café Kitsuné and even monogrammed water bottles.
—Avani Thakkar, refinery29.com, 28 Oct. 2024
Julia Teti, WWD, 8 Oct. 2024
See amazing bonsai trees courtesy of the Bonsai Society of Greater Cincinnati, live bonsai styling demonstrations and more.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for courtesy 
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Noun
Yet all the growing mounds of evidence and ever more refined expertise can’t make up for a stubborn disjunction separating design, courtesy, and compliance.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 13 Nov. 2024
Whatever was going on inside fell far short of the perks being offered outside, like cinnamon buns courtesy of trendy Buns From Home, lattes from Café Kitsuné and even monogrammed water bottles.
—Avani Thakkar, refinery29.com, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Swift’s glam featured her signature bold red lip, a smoky eye and glitter freckle makeup patches courtesy of Fazit.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 8 Oct. 2024
See amazing bonsai trees courtesy of the Bonsai Society of Greater Cincinnati, live bonsai styling demonstrations and more.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for courtesy
Dictionary Entries Near courtesy
Cite this Entry
“Courtesy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courtesy. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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