What does comity mean?
Comity denotes courteous, mutually respectful behaviour between people, groups, or institutions — a spirit of goodwill that goes beyond mere politeness to encompass genuine forbearance and accommodation. Rival companies may show comity by refusing to undercut each other dishonourably; political opponents show it by debating without personal rancour. The word has a second, specialised life in international law, where the 'comity of nations' refers to the principle that a state will voluntarily recognise and honour the laws, judgments, and institutions of other states out of respect rather than legal obligation — for example, when a court chooses to enforce a foreign judgement. Formal in register, comity appears most often in diplomatic, legal, scholarly, and journalistic writing, and its connotations are wholly positive. Derived from Latin, it remains a useful term for describing civility as an active, deliberate practice rather than a passive manner.
Courtesy and considerate behaviour toward others; mutual respect and goodwill in social, professional, or political relations.
"Long years of comity between the two editorial boards made even their sharpest disagreements civil."
Often used in phrases such as 'professional comity' to stress goodwill between rivals or peers.
(International law) The recognition accorded by one nation to the laws, judicial decisions, and institutions of another, based on respectful accommodation rather than binding obligation.
"The court recognised the foreign divorce decree as a matter of comity."
Frequently expressed in the fixed phrase 'comity of nations'; distinct from reciprocity enforced by treaty.
Rarely pluralised; comity is almost always used as an uncountable mass noun, so the plural appears mainly in legal or historical texts referring to multiple instances or relationships of mutual recognition.
"Diplomatic history records numerous comities between neighbouring powers."
When American judges refuse to apply another country's laws, it isn't always hostility — sometimes it's 'comity of nations', a centuries-old principle of polite legal diplomacy.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of comity
Comity entered English in the mid-sixteenth century, borrowed from French comité, which descends from the Latin comitas meaning 'friendliness' or 'courtesy', itself formed from the adjective comis, 'courteous, agreeable'. Its original sense of affable conduct among people was later extended into international law, where the phrase 'comity of nations' became established as a term of art. Few common English words share this precise Latin root, which makes comity's lineage unusually distinct within the vocabulary of civility.
How comity is actually used
Comity is a formal, somewhat elevated term, far more common in diplomatic, legal, and academic writing than in everyday speech. It carries an entirely positive connotation of voluntary goodwill and restraint, implying more than mere politeness — a genuine willingness to accommodate others. Its legal sense ('comity of nations') is a fixed technical phrase.
Easily confused with comity
Comedy is humorous entertainment or the genre of drama that amuses, whereas comity means courteous mutual respect — the two merely look and sound similar.
Comely is an adjective meaning attractive or pleasing in appearance, while comity is a noun referring to civility between people or states.