showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others; "to close one's eyes like a complaisant husband whose wife has taken a lover"; "the obliging waiter was in no hurry for us to leave"
perfected or made shiny and smooth; "his polished prose"; "in a freshly ironed dress and polished shoes"; "freshly polished silver"
showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience; "his polished manner"; "maintained an urbane tone in his letters"
a courteous act indicating affection; "she tried to win his heart with her many attentions"
a motionless erect stance with arms at the sides and feet together; assumed by military personnel during drill or review; "the troops stood at attention"
the faculty or power of mental concentration; "keeping track of all the details requires your complete attention"
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
a general interest that leads people to want to know more; "She was the center of attention"
the profession or art of a writer; "her place in literature is secure"
the humanistic study of a body of literature; "he took a course in Russian lit"
creative writing of recognized artistic value
published writings in a particular style on a particular subject; "the technical literature"; "one aspect of Waterloo has not yet been treated in the literature"
showing skill and sensitivity in dealing with people; "by diplomatic conduct he avoided antagonizing anyone"; "a tactful way of correcting someone"; "the agency got the kid-glove treatment on Capitol Hill"
having or showing a sense of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others; "she was tactful enough not to shatter his illusion"; "a tactful remark eased her embarrassment"
of or in a condition of social order; "civil peoples"
not rude; marked by satisfactory (or especially minimal) adherence to social usages and sufficient but not noteworthy consideration for others; "even if he didn't like them he should have been civil"- W.S. Maugham
(of divisions of time) legally recognized in ordinary affairs of life; "the civil calendar"; "a civil day begins at mean midnight"
applying to ordinary citizens; "civil law"; "civil authorities"
of or relating to or befitting citizens as individuals; "civil rights"; "civil liberty"; "civic duties"; "civic pride"
of or occurring within the state or between or among citizens of the state; "civil affairs"; "civil strife"; "civil disobedience"; "civil branches of government"