politely en · ADV
Pronunciation
- /pəˈlaɪtli/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree English polite Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English politely From polite + -ly.
Meanings
-
in a polite manner
It was night once more and Mary had got through another day without throwing herself politely from a top floor window or scrawling filthy words on the dining room walls.
1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy:If pressed about a serious accusation like rape, you can politely reply that you can’t answer questions pertaining to such an allegation without legal representation and wish to remain silent.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most politely | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more politely | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (19)
cs zdvořile (in a polite manner) · es educadamente (in a polite manner) · es cortésmente (in a polite manner) · wa poleymint (in a polite manner) · pl kulturalnie (in a polite manner) · pl grzecznie (in a polite manner) · hu udvariasan (in a polite manner) · hy քաղաքավարիորեն (in a polite manner) · nrf polîment (in a polite manner) · ca cortesament (in a polite manner) · it educatamente (in a polite manner) · hi सविनय (in a polite manner) · fr poliment (in a polite manner) · hy քաղաքավարի (in a polite manner) · uk вві́чливо (in a polite manner) · la cōmiter (in a polite manner) · ru ве́жливо (in a polite manner) · ro politicos (in a polite manner) · tr kibarca (in a polite manner)