incivility

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incivility

/ɪnsɪˈvɪlɪti/

Where it comes from

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”)), equivalent to in- + civility.

noun incivilities

uncountable The state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner. Courtezan. How say you now? is not your husband mad? / Adriana. His incivility confirms no less.
Similar: impoliteness
countable Any act of rudeness or ill-breeding. Latona, in her flight from Juno, is churlishly intreated by the Lycian pesants, and denied the publique benefit of water: for which incivility these bawling Clownes are changed into croaking froggs, and confined unto that Lake for ever.
uncountable Lack of civilization; a state of rudeness or barbarism. 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).]

Translations

Every language

noun state of being uncivil; lack of courtesy; rudeness in manner

Español	incivilidad
हिन्दी	अशिष्टता aśiṣṭatā
Português	incivilidade
Français	incivilité
Deutsch	unhöfliches Benehmen, Unhöflichkeit, Grobheit

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MLA

"incivility." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/incivility. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

incivility. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/incivility

Chicago

"incivility." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/incivility.

BibTeX

@misc{incivility_2026,
  title = {incivility},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/incivility},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}