Uncivil
/ʌnˈsɪv.əl/noun
Not courteous, polite, or conforming to accepted standards of social behavior.
Did you know?The word’s core, Latin civilis, meant “of a citizen” or “of public life,” so calling someone uncivil historically marked them as failing the behavior expected of a member of society.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kei-
“A proposed root associated with lying, settling, or dwelling; it is commonly connected with the deeper history of Latin civis, though the reconstruction is debated.”
Classical Latin
Latin
civis
“Citizen or member of a community.”
Classical Latin
Latin
civilis
“Of a citizen, public, civic, or appropriate to civil society.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
incivilis
“Uncivil, discourteous, or not befitting civilized public conduct.”
14th Century
English
uncivil
“Not civil, courteous, or polite.”
Modern English
English
uncivil
“Rude, discourteous, or lacking social propriety.”