courteous
adjective /ˈkɜːtiəs/
/ˈkɜːrtiəs/
- polite, especially in a way that shows respect
- a courteous young man
- The hotel staff are friendly and courteous.
Extra ExamplesTopics Personal qualitiesc2- She was unfailingly courteous and helpful.
- He was a gentle, courteous man.
- I wrote him a short letter and received a courteous reply.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- to
Word OriginMiddle English (meaning ‘having manners fit for a royal court’): from Old French corteis, based on Latin cohors ‘yard, retinue’. The change in the ending in the 16th cent. was due to association with words ending in -eous.