Civility means being politeshowing good manners and consideration in social behavior and respectfulshowing proper regard and courtesy to others toward other people. It can also refer to a more formal, restrainedcontrolled; not too strong, loud, or emotional kind of politeness.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-19. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /sih-VIL-ih-tee/
Easy pronunciation: sih-VIL-ih-tee (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress is on the second syllable: VIL.
Primary sense: politeness and respect toward other people.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-19. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Civility Meaning
politeness and respect toward other people
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the act of showing regard for others
Example: Even in a heated debate, civility helps people listen to one another.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- politeness — A direct synonym for the everyday sense of respectful behavior.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-19. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Civility
Meaning 2
polite behavior that feels formal, restrained, or only done because it is expected
Part of speech: noun
Definition: formal or perfunctory politeness
Example: The two rivals exchanged civilities before the meeting began.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- politeness — Works here, though it may sound more general than this more formal sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-19. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Civility Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- politeness
formal or perfunctory politeness
- politeness
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-19. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes confuse civility with simple kindness, but civility specifically means polite and respectful conduct.
- It can also be mistaken for a warm or friendly attitude, when it may only mean basic formal politeness.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-19. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does civility mean?
Civility means polite, respectful behavior toward other people. It can also mean a more formal kind of politeness.
What is a simple synonym for civility?
Politeness is the closest simple synonym for civility in most everyday use.
Is civility the same as kindness?
Not exactly. Civility is about politeness and respect, while kindness usually suggests warmth or generosity as well.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-19. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.