urbanity

Definition

Behaviour that is polished, refined, courteous.

Etymology

From Middle English urbanitie, from Middle French urbanité, from Latin urbānitās, from urbānus (“belonging to a city”), with a sense of "having the manners of townspeople" in Classical Latin, from urbs (“city”); equivalent to urbane + -ity (sense 1) and urban + -ity (sense 2).

Example Sentences

• "The vaunted courtesy of the old school, the smooth urbanity that prevailed in former days [...]"
• "He only stayed a few days in London, to take the oaths and his seat in the House of Lords, a ceremony that was to take place on the morrow, and he held himself much indebted to the circumstance of spending his first evening at Lady Anne's, because the marquis of Wentworthdale had, with the utmost urbanity, offered to accompany him on that somewhat trying occasion,and he felt the value of his kindness not less than the courtesy evinced by a man of his rank and importance in the court and the House of Lords."
• "Wealdon's two little visits explained perfectly the active urbanities of Captain Stanley Lake."