Word
courtly
Phoneticscourt·ly, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈkɔɹtɫi/
UK/kˈɔːtli/
Definition
adj. polite and elegant in the old-fashioned way people behaved at royal courts. You use it for manners that feel formal and respectful.
adj. Marked by refined politeness and dignified grace associated with royal courts. Often describes manners, speech, or bearing that appear formal and chivalrous.
Examples
“He gives a courtly bow to every guest.”
“The old professor greets his students with courtly manners and a slight bow.”
“Despite the heated debate, she maintained a courtly calm, listening carefully before answering each critic with measured grace.”
Examples
simple
“He gives a courtly bow to every guest.”
contextual
“The old professor greets his students with courtly manners and a slight bow.”
complex
“Despite the heated debate, she maintained a courtly calm, listening carefully before answering each critic with measured grace.”
Real-World Examples
“One night after Christmas last year, in a dark, well-upholstered restaurant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the American poet Frederick Seidel, an elegant man of 73 with an uncommonly courtly manner, told me a story about poetry’s power to disturb.” “Paulson, a soft-spoken manager with a courtly manner, shot to fame when he earned $4 billion off the subprime bet in 2007 and repeated with a $5 billion payout in 2010 on bets the economy would recover.” “Clifton Daniel, the courtly North Carolinian who served as managing editor of The New York Times from 1964 to 1969 after a career as a correspondent in wartime London, war-torn Europe and the Middle East, died yesterday at his home in Manhattan.” Etymology
From Middle English courtly, equivalent to court + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/courtly