Dictionary

incivility en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪnsɪˈvɪlɪti/

Etymology

From Middle French incivilité, from Late Latin incivilitas (“incivility”), from Latin incivilis (“impolite, uncivil”), from in- (privative prefix) + civilis (“belonging to a citizen, civic, political, urbane, courteous, civil”) (from civis (“a citizen”)), equivalent to in- + civility.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) The state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner.
   • [S]he could not bear incivility to her guests, to young men in particular, […] 1927 May, Virginia Woolf, chapter 1, in To the Lighthouse (Uniform Edition of the Works of Virginia Woolf), new edition, London: Leonard and Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, […], published 1930, →OCLC, part I (The Window), page 15:
   • 1668, David Lloyd, Memoires of the Lives, Actions, Sufferings, and Deaths of those Noble, Reverend, and Excellent Personages that suffered by Death, Sequestration, Decimation, and otherwise for the Protestant Religion, London: Samuel Speed, “The Life and Death of Robert Berkley,” p. 96, Beat on proud Billows, Boreas blow, Swell curled Waves, high as Jove’s roof, Your incivility doth show, That Innocence is tempest proof.
   • Courtezan. How say you now? is not your husband mad? / Adriana. His incivility confirms no less. c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:
   • Little did Mr. Willoughby imagine, I suppose, when his looks censured me for incivility in breaking up the party, that I was called away to the relief of one whom he had made poor and miserable […] 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter XXXI, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
2. (countable) Any act of rudeness or ill-breeding.
   • Latona, in her flight from Juno, is churlishly intreated by the Lycian pesants, and denied the publique benefit of water: for which incivility these bawling Clownes are changed into croaking froggs, and confined unto that Lake for ever. 1626, Ovid, “(please specify the page)”, in George Sandys, transl., Ovid’s Metamorphosis Englished […], London: […] William Stansby, →OCLC:
   • When my poor Sidebottom was alive, if there had been any unpleasantness between us during the day … I have shaken him at night to wake him up, that he might receive my pardon for an incivility said or done. 1889, Sabine Baring-Gould, “A Face in the Dark” in Pennycomequicks, London: Spencer, Blackett & Hallam, Volume II, p. 54
   • In truth, vve thought it (coming immediately from an infected place) an hazardous incivilitie, to put our ſelves upon them; for if any ſiniſter accident had fallen out about the ſame time (for Coincidents are not alvvaies Cauſes) vve ſhould have rued it for ever. a. 1639 (date written), Henry Wotton, “[Letters, &c. and Characters of Sundry Personages, […].] My Deare Nic. Pey.”, in Reliquiæ Wottonianæ. Or, A Collection of Lives, Letters, Poems; […], London: […] Thomas Maxey, for R[ichard] Marriot, G[abriel] Bedel, and T[imothy] Garthwait, published 1651, →OCLC, page 507:
   • Mr. Lovelace, for three days together, sent twice each day to inquire after my brother’s health; and, altho’ he received rude, and even shocking returns, he thought fit, on the fourth day, to make in person the fame inquiries; and received still greater incivilities from my two uncles, who happen’d to be both there. 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter IV”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume I, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, page 26:
3. (uncountable) Lack of civilization; a state of rudeness or barbarism.
   • BEAT on, proud billows; Boreas blow; / Swell, curled waves, high as Jove's roof; / Your incivility doth ſhow, / That innocence is tempeſt proof; / Though ſurly Nereus frown, my thoughts are calm; / Then ſtrike, Affliction, for thy wounds are balm. [Attributed to Roger L'Estrange (1616–1704).] 1781, [Mostyn John Armstrong], History and Antiquities of the County of Norfolk. Volume IX. Containing the Hundreds of Smithdon, Taverham, Tunstead, Walsham, and Wayland, volume IX, Norwich: Printed by J. Crouse, for M. Booth, bookseller, →OCLC, page 51:

Forms

Relateds

uncourteousness · impoliteness · incivil · disrespect · rudeness · unmannerliness · discourtesy

Synonyms

impoliteness

Translations (11)

fi epäkohteliaisuus (state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner) · pt incivilidade (state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner) · de unhöfliches Benehmen (state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner) · ca incivilitat (state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner) · hi अशिष्टता (state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner) · es incivilidad (state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner) · fr incivilité (state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner) · bg неучтивост (state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner) · de Unhöflichkeit (state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner) · de Grobheit (state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner) · bg грубост (state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner)