- [uncountable]
polite behaviour 彬彬有礼的行为；礼貌；客气 - civilities[plural]
remarks that are said only in order to be polite 客套话；客气话 She didn’t waste time on civilities. 她没有浪费时间说客套话。
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French civilite, from Latin civilitas, from civilis ‘relating to citizens’ (from civis ‘citizen’). In early use the term denoted the state of being a citizen and hence good citizenship or orderly behaviour. The sense ‘politeness’ arose in the mid 16th cent.