Polished, refined, or elegant in speech, manner, or behavior; well-bred; courteous; complaisant; obliging: said of persons or their speech or behavior, etc.: as, polite society; he was very polite.
civil, polite, courteous, gallant, chivalrous mean observant of the forms required by good breeding. civil often suggests little more than the avoidance of overt rudeness.
What is meant and perceived as polite in a given context, however, will depend on judgments of appropriateness and markedness.
of a refined or elegant kind: polite learning. po lite′ness, n. 1. well-bred, gracious. See civil. 2. urbane, polished, poised, courtly, cultivated. 1. 2. rude. In Lists: Top 2000 English words, Desirable personal qualities, PET Vocabulary List - P, more... Synonyms: courteous, considerate, well-mannered, respectful, mannerly, more...
There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the word polite, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
polite, adj. & n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
POLITE definition: showing good manners toward others, as in behavior, speech, etc.; courteous; civil. See examples of polite used in a sentence.
Someone who is polite has good manners and behaves in a way that is socially correct and not rude to other people. Everyone around him was trying to be polite, but you could tell they were all bored. Gonzales, a quiet and very polite young man, made a favorable impression.
Polite refers to showing good manners, consideration and respect towards others, typically in social settings or situations. It may entail being courteous, behaving in a civilized manner, demonstrating cultural etiquette, using respectful language, or refraining from offensive, rude, or inappropriate behaviors and comments.