incivility

noun

in·​ci·​vil·​i·​ty ˌin(t)-sə-ˈvi-lə-tē How to pronounce incivility (audio)
Synonyms of incivilitynext
1
: the quality or state of being uncivil
2
: a rude or discourteous act

Synonyms of incivility

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of incivility in a Sentence

We chose to ignore their little insults and incivilities. I won't tolerate incivility, and that includes text messaging while I'm speaking.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Minneola City Councilman David Yeager’s efforts to annex his new home into the city earlier this summer sparked a nasty debate on the council that led to two members being censured last week for incivility. — James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026 Even before Hamilton decided to run, he was bothered by the increasing incivility in American politics. — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 The rest of the film makes very clear what Nolan thinks of such incivility, primarily through its depiction of Odysseus himself. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026 We are encouraged to indulge our delusions about replacement theory and white male superiority and to surrender to our instincts toward incivility and division. — Dawn M. Turner, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for incivility

Word History

Etymology

Middle French incivilité, from Late Latin incivilitat-, incivilitas, from incivilis, from Latin in- + civilis civil

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of incivility was in 1584

Rhymes for incivility

See All Rhymes for incivility

Browse Nearby Words

incivil
incivility
incivilization
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Incivility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incivility. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

incivility

noun
in·​ci·​vil·​i·​ty ˌin(t)-sə-ˈvil-ət-ē How to pronounce incivility (audio)
plural incivilities
1
: the quality or state of being impolite
2
: a rude or discourteous act
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All