manners

Word family

• manner
  nounB1
• mannerism
  nounC1
• mannerly
  adjectiveB2
• mannerless
  adjectiveC1
• ill-mannered
  adjectiveB2
• well-mannered
  adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: idiom/1

Manners, etiquette, politeness, courtesy, and decorum all relate to socially appropriate behaviour, but they differ in scope and formality. Manners (idiom/1) refers to an individual's observable actions — the everyday politeness that shows consideration for others ('the child's good manners'). Etiquette is the codified system of rules for formal situations, such as dining or diplomacy ('wedding etiquette'). Politeness is a broader personal quality of being respectful and tactful, not limited to specific rules. Courtesy is similar but often implies a deliberate, gracious act ('he held the door open out of courtesy'). Decorum is the most formal, describing behaviour that is proper and dignified according to the standards of a particular setting ('maintaining decorum in court'). In everyday speech, 'manners' is the most concrete and commonly used: you can see someone's manners, whereas politeness and courtesy describe an inner quality.

Common collocations

Etymology

The word 'manner' entered English through Old French 'maniere', which came from Latin 'manuarius' (hand-related), ultimately from 'manus' (hand). The Latin sense was 'way of handling', which evolved into 'way of doing something'. By the 1300s, 'manner' in English meant 'custom, habit, or way of behaving'. The plural form 'manners' became fixed in the 1500s for the specific sense of polite social behaviour — the idea being that such behaviour consists of multiple customary ways of acting. The fixed phrase 'all manners of' (meaning 'all kinds of') developed from the medieval sense of 'manner' as 'kind, sort'.