Civility and Propriety

Civility

Civility noun - Speech or behavior that is a sign of good breeding.
Usage example: treated people from all walks of life with the same unfailing civility

Propriety is a synonym for civility in courtesy topic. In some cases you can use "Propriety" instead a noun "Civility", when it comes to topics like niceness.

Propriety

Propriety noun - Socially acceptable behavior.
Usage example: some people miss the straitlaced propriety that was largely abandoned in the 1960s

Civility is a synonym for propriety in courtesy topic. You can use "Civility" instead a noun "Propriety", if it concerns topics such as decorum.

Nearby Words: proprietor, proprietary
Cite this Source
Propriety and Civility. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/civility/propriety
Civility & Propriety. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/civility/propriety>.
Propriety or Civility. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/civility/propriety.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "civility" and "propriety" have occurred on timeline