courtesy

1 of 2

noun

cour·​te·​sy ˈkər-tə-sē How to pronounce courtesy (audio)
 British also  ˈkȯ-
plural courtesies
1
a
: behavior marked by polished manners or respect for others : courteous behavior
b
: a courteous and respectful act or expression
2
a
: general allowance despite facts : indulgence
hills called mountains by courtesy only
b
: consideration, cooperation, and generosity in providing something (such as a gift or privilege)
also : agency, means
used chiefly in the phrases through the courtesy of or by courtesy of or sometimes simply courtesy of

courtesy

2 of 2

adjective

cour·​te·​sy ˈkər-tə-sē How to pronounce courtesy (audio)
 British also  ˈkȯ-
: granted, provided, or performed as a courtesy or by way of courtesy (see courtesy entry 1)
made a courtesy call on the ambassador

Examples of courtesy in a Sentence

Noun Civilized life cannot be sustained without hypocrisy. A certain moral code, a degree of courtesy and decorum, are necessary to keep our instincts under a modicum of control. Ian Buruma, New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2006
Cara, who, courtesy of the cat, had a run in her leggings, picked up the phone in a panic … Helen Schulman, Wigwag, November 1990
"Coffee, sir?" asked a sailor. I nodded, still chilled. The courtesy, the ordinariness of these men was in the context somehow curious. Fred Reed, Harper's, September 1988
I tried to persuade him that all that Hamish Hamilton had attempted to do was to extend the kind of courtesies which cultural institutions thought to be his due. Isaiah Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 12 Apr. 1987
They treated us with courtesy and kindness. She did it as a courtesy, not because she had to. Everyone knows each other here, so we won't bother with the usual courtesies. They shook hands and exchanged courtesies before beginning their discussion. Adjective As the heir to an earldom, Stephen was obliged to pay a courtesy call on the British ambassador … Ken Follett, The Man from St. Petersburg, 1982
Important visitors to the conference were provided with courtesy cars.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The reunion is short-lived, though: The shoes will embark on a whirlwind journey around the world in the coming months, courtesy of Heritage Auctions, before they’ll be sold and sent to their final home — Kansas, perhaps? Scottie Andrew, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024 The Princess never gets a day off from public scrutiny, so she should at least be allowed the courtesy of looking like Kate. Alice Newbold, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024 Willy dreams of opening a sweets shop, a goal that has some serious obstacles courtesy of a chocolate cartel and a thieving Oompa Loompa (played by scene-stealing Hugh Grant). Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 The thin, electric-violet neon light fixture that hangs over Al Pacino in various club scenes, courtesy of the virtuoso production designer Richard Sylbert, gets the tone just right: tackily haunting, sin with a hint of the consequences. The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 Besides the star power, a stand-out element of the series is its visuals, courtesy of production designer Jon Carlos and costume designer Alix Friedberg while shooting at homes in Bel-Air. Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 Saturday, March 16 Ireland at the Wharf An afternoon of outdoor entertainment on the Wharf’s Transit and District piers starts with a viewing of the Ireland-Scotland rugby match on a giant screen, and Gaelic football and hurling lessons courtesy of local squad the D.C. Gaels. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 The unique outfit, courtesy of Bettter, took things up a notch as Stewart wasn't wearing any pants. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 But what really caught our attention was her iconic makeup, courtesy of the talented celebrity makeup artist, Romy Soleimani. Larry Stansbury, Essence, 11 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Music and lyrics are courtesy of Prince with direction by Tony Award-nominee Lileana Blain-Cruz. Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Feb. 2024 The digital cookbook is only available in the Chiefs mobile app — and also includes Travis Kelce's favorite magic marshmallow rolls courtesy of his mom Donna Kelce. Ana Calderone, Peoplemag, 19 Jan. 2024 Today, the 911 GT3 RS can generate 1,895 lbs (860 kg) of downforce at 285 km/h, with a low-downforce setting for lower speeds courtesy of active front and rear wing elements. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 16 Oct. 2023 The jaw-dropping transformation comes courtesy stylist Dimitris Giannetos, who regularly works with Fox and a slate of stars like Joey King, Ciara and Gigi Hadid. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 6 Sep. 2023 Our testing also shows that the Tellis in fact works with most body types courtesy of their tailored shape and tailored leg. Maverick Li, Men's Health, 22 Aug. 2023 Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is a film rife with larger-than-life, extremely pink, across-the-board tremendous fashion, largely courtesy of costume designer Jacqueline Durran (who has powerfully informed the popularity of Barbiecore). Emma Specter, Vogue, 27 July 2023 That’s only partly courtesy of CL-20 – the Chinese have also developed technology to make propellants burn more efficiently and have built larger missiles than U.S. forces can bring to the fight by air or sea. Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2023 Lopez even reintroduced the history-making gown in 2019, closing out the Italian brand's show during Milan Fashion Week in the dress, which was taken to new heights courtesy of a unitard silhouette and flowing train. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'courtesy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English corteisie, from Anglo-French curteisie, from curteis — see courteous

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of courtesy was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near courtesy

Cite this Entry

“Courtesy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courtesy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

courtesy

noun
cour·​te·​sy
ˈkərt-ə-sē
plural courtesies
1
: courtly politeness
2
: a favor courteously performed
3
: a favor as distinguished from a right
a title by courtesy only

More from Merriam-Webster on courtesy

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