Meaning & use

politely

adverb·Everyday

In a way that shows good manners and consideration for other people.

See it in a sentence

She politely declined the second helping of dessert.

He politely asked the driver to slow down near the school.

A note on using this word

Politely modifies actions or speech and often softens a request or refusal without changing its meaning.

Words with a similar meaning

courteouslycivilly

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

rudely

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “politely”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.