# courtesy

Pronunciation: say "KUR-tuh-see" US /ˈkɝɾəsi/, UK /ˈkɜːtəsi/

## Noun

1. Polite and considerate behavior toward other people.
   - Simple: Kind and polite ways of treating other people.
   - _He thanked the staff with the kind of courtesy that put everyone at ease._
   - _Common courtesy means letting others finish speaking before you reply._
2. A polite gesture or remark offered by choice rather than out of duty or routine.
   - Simple: A kind word or action you give to be nice, not because you have to.
   - _Sending a thank-you note is a courtesy that few people bother with anymore._
   - _The host extended every courtesy to her unexpected visitors._
5. A generous readiness to supply something that someone needs.
   - Simple: A kind willingness to give people the things they need.
   - _The exhibit was made possible through the courtesy of several private collectors._
   - _They reached the summit thanks to the courtesy of local guides who shared their supplies._
6. Agreement or allowance given out of indulgence rather than because the facts strictly require it.
   - Simple: Agreement to allow something even when it is not strictly true.
   - _She is a duchess by courtesy, the rank granted through her husband rather than by birth._
   - _The committee accepted his figures by courtesy, knowing the numbers were rough._
7. A respectful greeting made by bending the knees and lowering the body, traditionally by a woman or girl.
   - Simple: A small bend of the knees made as a polite greeting, mostly by girls and women.
   - _The girl dropped a courtesy as the duchess passed._
   - _He bowed and she returned a courtesy before the music began._
9. The lifelong right a surviving husband holds to use the land and property his deceased wife owned.
   - Simple: A husband's legal right to use his dead wife's land for the rest of his life.
   - _Under the old law, courtesy entitled the widower to manage his wife's estate for life._
   - _The husband claimed courtesy in the lands his wife had inherited._

## Adjective

3. Provided free of charge.
   - Simple: Given to you for free.
   - _Guests can use the courtesy phone in the lobby to call their rooms._
   - _The dealership provided a courtesy car while mine was being repaired._
4. Given or done as a polite gesture rather than out of necessity.
   - Simple: Done to be polite, not because it is needed.
   - _The senator paid a courtesy call on the visiting delegation._
   - _A courtesy nod from the judge signaled that the hearing could begin._

## Verb

8. Alternative form of curtsey. Dated. — Alternative form of curtsey.
   - Simple: Alternative form of curtsey. It is an old-fashioned word for bending the knees as a polite greeting.
   - _Maids were expected to courtesy whenever a guest of rank arrived._
   - _The young ladies rose to courtesy as the duchess entered._

## Origin

From Middle English curteisie, from Anglo-Norman curtesie and Old French curteisie, cortoisie. It is equivalent to "courteous" plus the abstract-noun suffix "-y."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/courtesy (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).