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Civility

n. calm, kind professional

What it means

Respectful restraint and politeness that make social or public disagreement possible.

Reach for it when naming a standard of conduct without demanding agreement or affection

Civility allowed residents to challenge the plan without attacking one another.

Words to choose between 5

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom. Tap a word to see when it fits.
everyday
warm
professional
formal

  • everyday

    good manners

    Fits when a familiar phrase will be clearest

    Careful Good manners can sound like etiquette training rather than democratic restraint.

  • everyday

    politeness

    Fits when conventional manners are the basic expectation

    Careful Politeness may be superficial and is not tested only during disagreement.

  • warm

    courtesy

    Fits when considerate acts toward individuals are prominent

    Careful Courtesy is broader than the shared restraint needed in public conflict.

  • professional

    respect

    Fits when recognizing dignity or legitimate standing is central

    Careful Respect can coexist with blunt speech that falls short of civility.

  • formal

    decorum

    Fits when behavior appropriate to a formal setting is the issue

    Careful Decorum protects propriety and can silence honest but civil dissent.

Opposites 3

  • incivility
  • rudeness
  • hostility

Common phrases 3

  • basic civility

    Basic civility is still required when the answer is no.

  • public civility

    The forum paired public civility with room for hard questions.

  • restore civility

    A neutral chair helped restore civility to the meeting.

Word family 1

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated