Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

politely

[puh-lahyt-lee] / pəˈlaɪt li /
ADVERB
thoughtfully
Synonyms
STRONGEST
amiably attentively cordially gently graciously kindly respectfully tactfully
STRONG
courteously
WEAK
affably agreeably benignantly charmingly civilly compassionately concernedly considerately elegantly gallantly gracefully ingratiatingly kindheartedly sociably solicitously urbanely winningly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Alana Anisio Rosa, 20, politely turned down the man from her gym who kept sending her flowers and chocolates.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

One of several similar images, it illustrates an old Flemish proverb that can be politely translated as “Whoever holds a sack of gold will always have flatterers.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

She added: "I'll even miss standing front of the judges, can you believe that? Smiling politely while sometimes secretly disagreeing - it's been an honour to share the ballroom with them."

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

Officer Manny Gomez politely asked everyone to stay on the sidewalk.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

Nhamo, who hardly ever got meat, had to control herself to eat politely.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Vocabulary lists containing politely

List 4

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!