incivility
English
Etymology
From Middle French incivilité, from Late Latin incivilitas (“incivility”), from Latin incivilis (“impolite, uncivil”), from in- (privative prefix) + civilis (“belonging to a citizen, civic, political, urbane, courteous, civil”) (from civis (“a citizen”)).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɪnsɪˈvɪlɪti/
Audio (RP) (file) - Hyphenation: in‧ci‧vil‧i‧ty
Noun
incivility (countable and uncountable, plural incivilities)
- (uncountable) The state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner.
- Synonym: impoliteness
- c. 1594, William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene iv]:
- Courtezan. How say you now? is not your husband mad?
Adriana. His incivility confirms no less.
- 1668, David Lloyd, Memoires of the Lives, Actions, Sufferings, and Deaths of those Noble, Reverend, and Excellent Personages that suffered by Death, Sequestration, Decimation, and otherwise for the Protestant Religion, London: Samuel Speed, “The Life and Death of Robert Berkley,” p. 96,
- Beat on proud Billows, Boreas blow,
- Swell curled Waves, high as Jove’s roof,
- Your incivility doth show,
- That Innocence is tempest proof.
- 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter 31, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], OCLC 20599507:
- Little did Mr. Willoughby imagine, I suppose, when his looks censured me for incivility in breaking up the party, that I was called away to the relief of one whom he had made poor and miserable [...]
- 1927, Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse, Chapter 1,
- [...] she could not bear incivility to her guests, to young men in particular [...]
- (countable) Any act of rudeness or ill-breeding.
- 1621-1626, George Sandys, Metamorphoses
- 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter IV”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume I, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; […], OCLC 13631815, page 26:
- Mr. Lovelace, for three days together, sent twice each day to inquire after my brother’s health; and, altho’ he received rude, and even shocking returns, he thought fit, on the fourth day, to make in person the fame inquiries; and received still greater incivilities from my two uncles, who happen’d to be both there.
- 1889, Sabine Baring-Gould, “A Face in the Dark” in Pennycomequicks, London: Spencer, Blackett & Hallam, Volume II, p. 54,
- When my poor Sidebottom was alive, if there had been any unpleasantness between us during the day [...] I have shaken him at night to wake him up, that he might receive my pardon for an incivility said or done.
- (uncountable) Lack of civilization; a state of rudeness or barbarism.
- 1781, [Mostyn John Armstrong], History and Antiquities of the County of Norfolk. Volume IX. Containing the Hundreds of Smithdon, Taverham, Tunstead, Walsham, and Wayland, volume IX, Norwich: Printed by J. Crouse, for M. Booth, bookseller, OCLC 520624543, page 51:
- BEAT on, proud billows; Boreas blow; / Swell, curled waves, high as Jove's roof; / Your incivility doth ſhow, / That innocence is tempeſt proof; / Though ſurly Nereus frown, my thoughts are calm; / Then ſtrike, Affliction, for thy wounds are balm. [Attributed to Roger L'Estrange (1616–1704).]
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Related terms
- incivil
Translations
state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner
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See also
- discourtesy
- disrespect
- impoliteness
- rudeness
- uncourteousness
- unmannerliness
References
- incivility in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
- incivility in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913