What does civility mean?
Civility is the quality of being courteous and politely restrained toward others. It denotes a baseline of respectful behaviour — saying please and thank you, listening without interrupting, avoiding insults — that allows people to coexist and cooperate even amid disagreement. Unlike friendliness or warmth, civility does not require affection; one can be perfectly civil to a stranger or an adversary while feeling no personal regard for them. The word derives from the Latin civilis ('relating to citizens'), so its history ties good manners to good citizenship: behaving civilly originally meant acting as a responsible member of the community. In contemporary discourse, especially political discussion, appeals for greater civility are common, though critics sometimes note that civility can be invoked to silence necessary conflict. Its plural form, 'civilities,' refers to small polite exchanges such as greetings and pleasantries. Civility remains a prized ideal wherever diverse people must share public life.
Courteous and polite behaviour; formal politeness in speech or manner.
"He handled the hostile questioning with unfailing civility."
Often used in discussions of public or political discourse.
An individual act or expression of politeness, typically used in the plural.
"The ambassadors exchanged brief civilities before beginning negotiations."
Almost always plural in this sense.
The plural usually means small polite remarks or gestures, such as greetings and pleasantries, rather than the general quality of politeness.
"Once the two lawyers had exchanged the usual civilities, they turned to the matter at hand."
The word 'civility' comes from the Latin for 'citizen' — being polite literally meant behaving like a proper member of the city.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of civility
Civility entered English from Old French in the late Middle English period, ultimately deriving from the Latin civilis, meaning 'relating to citizens' or 'befitting a citizen.' The root is civis, meaning citizen, which also gave rise to civic, civilian, and civilization. Over time the word narrowed from the broad sense of organized communal life (as in 'state of civility') to the specific modern sense of courtesy and polite conduct.
How civility is actually used
Formal to neutral register. In modern usage it often carries connotations of a minimal baseline of respectful behaviour rather than warmth — one can treat someone with civility without liking them at all.
Easily confused with civility
Civility refers to politeness of manner, while civilization refers to the state of a society having developed culture, organization, and technology.