polite

 
Pronunciation: /pəˈlʌɪt/

adjective (politer, politest)

  • having or showing behaviour that is respectful and considerate of other people: they thought she was wrong but were too polite to say so
  • [attributive] relating to people who regard themselves as more cultured and refined than others: the picture outraged polite society

Derivatives

politely

adverb

politeness

noun

Origin:

late Middle English (in the Latin sense): from Latin politus 'polished, made smooth', past participle of polire