# polite

Pronunciation: say "puh-LYT" /pəˈlaɪt/

## Adjective

1. Showing good manners and respect in how one behaves toward others.
   - Simple: Acting in a kind and respectful way toward other people.
   - _The waiter stayed polite even as the customers grew impatient._
   - _A polite reply to the complaint arrived within the hour._

## Adjective

2. Having a smooth, polished, and burnished surface or finish. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Smooth and shiny, like a surface that has been rubbed clean.

## Verb

3. To polish or refine something, or to make a person more cultured and well-mannered. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To make something smooth, clean, or more refined.
   - _The academy sought to polite the speech and bearing of its students._
   - _A season in the capital helped polite his coarse provincial habits._

## Origin

From Latin politus ("polished"), the past participle of polio ("I polish, smooth"); related to polish.

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