---

• a  showing regard for others in manners, speech, behavior, etc.
• s  marked by refinement in taste and manners
  polite society
• a  not rude; marked by satisfactory (or especially minimal) adherence to social usages and sufficient but not noteworthy consideration for others

• Kids don't have to be polite.
• As angry exchanges take place outside, the President engages in a polite town-hall meeting, albeit with heartfelt worries from the audience.
• Overall, French travelers landed 19th out of 21 nations worldwide, far behind the first-place Japanese, considered the most polite, quiet and tidy.

• civilized
• civilised
• cultivated
• cultured
• genteel
• civil

• impolite
• uncivil

News & Articles

---

• People anticipate others' genuine smiles, but not polite smiles
  Smile and the world smiles with you -- but new research suggests that not all smiles are created equal. The research shows that people actually anticipate smiles that are genuine but not smiles that are merely polite. The differing responses may reflect the unique social value of genuine smiles.
  June 12, 2013 - Science Daily
• Your Brain Knows the Difference Between Phony Smiles and Real Ones
  Smiling comes in two distinct forms: genuine and polite. The genuine kind are those that result from a friend showing you a hilarious new grumpy cat meme. These smiles are spontaneous and indicative of pleasure. Polite smiles, on the other hand, are the ones reserved for the awkward encounters with your coworker at the coffee machine. You don't want to be rude, but you're not actually enjoying ...
  June 12, 2013 - Discover
• Saliva proteins may protect older people from influenza
  Spit. Drool. Dribble. Saliva is not normally a topic of polite conversation, but it may be the key to explaining the age and sex bias exhibited by influenza and other diseases, according to a new study. Research, it provides new insights into why older people were better able to fight off the new strains of "bird" flu and "swine" flu than younger people.
  June 12, 2013 - Science Daily

Quotes

---

• Barack Obama in FOXNews
  It's unlikely that as a consequence of me shaking hands or having a polite conversation with Mr. Chavez that we are endangering the strategic interests of the United States,Obama said.
• Rafael Benitez in ESPN
  Benitez added: "Normally you have to be polite and respect the other manager. During the season we have seen a lot of things that I didn't like, so that's it. I say congratulations to United because they have won. And that's it."
• President Bush in Washington Post
  Should the foreign minister of Iran bump into Condi Rice, Condi won't be rude; she's not a rude person. I'm sure she'll be polite,Bush said at a news conference after meeting with European Union leaders.