polite Copy link Outline I. CourteousII. Elegant, refined • polite: I. Courteous: cŏmis, hūmānus: v. courteous. Also perh. urbānus (having the refinement and polish which marks town as contrasted with country: cf. agrestis = boorish): Cic. Fam. 3, 8, med.: cf. politeness. Or expr. by urbanitas: so p. a person as you are, *qua es urbanitate; quae tua est urbanitas. See also obliging. II. Elegant, refined: hūmānus: p. literature, *litterae humaniores: more class., politior humanitas (which however embraces all p. culture), Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72.