politefuladj.
/pəˈlʌɪtf(ʊ)l/, U.S. /pəˈlaɪtf(ə)l/ Now rare.
Polite, courteous.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > [adjective]
metheOE
hendc1225
debonairc1230
hendya1250
courteousc1275
hendlyc1275
bonairc1300
quaintc1300
sweetc1330
graciousa1375
meetha1400
debonary1402
debonariousc1485
humanec1500
civil1565
genty1660
discreet1739
polite1751
politeful1832
the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > [adjective] > well-mannered > polished or refined
well-polished1485
civil?1538
politic1596
cult1598
refined1598
inlanda1616
facete1616
urbane1623
terse1628
gentilitat1632
polite1751
politeful1832
1832 M. Scott Tom Cringle in Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Feb. 197/1 ‘I say, Blackie.’... ‘John Lodge, massa, if you please, massa; Blackie is not politeful.’
1886 T. H. Huxley Let. 22 Sept. in Life & Lett. (1900) II. 142 I have written to Lubbock..with unmistakable distinctness as politeful as may be.
1896 Daily News 27 June 8/4 They were not politeful these footpads.
1913 J. London God of his Fathers vi. 147 You haf asked me to be politeful, und now I am politeful.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1832